-4-2-nat0- (Fortunato)
by The Good Wario
Summary: A strange robot known as Rhythm is discovered behind the wall of an abandoned building. Who is he? How did he get were he was? And who made him? Dr. Wily & Bass begrudgingly team with Mega Man and Roll to discover the heart and facts of the prometheus.
1. Chapter 1

"It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents — except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets" -from _Paul Clifford_

-SYSTEM CHARGING [***0000000] 27%-

_Wha...what's happening to me?_

_-_SYSTEM CHARGING [****000000] 42%-

_I feel as if I have been in a deep sleep..._

-SYSTEM CHARGING [******0000] 64%-

_Where am I?_

-SYSTEM CHARGING [********00] 84%-

_What was I doing before I got here?_

-SYSTEM CHARGING [**********] 96%-  
/PREPARING DIAGNOSTICS-{ASSES# 3}  
INTERNAL_CIRCUITRY=NORMAL  
MOTOR_FUNCTIONS=NORMAL  
WEAPON_CAPABILITIES=NORMAL  
MEMORY=ERROR:CORRUPTION_DELETE_MEMORY_Y/N?

_What? No! Do not delete memories!_

MEMORY_RETAINED  
GENERAL_STATUS:_OPERABLE  
WELCOME_BACK_RHYTHM

_Rhythm? Is that my name?,_

He opened his eyes and discovered that he was located in a strange cramped alcove. He turned his head to the left and noticed that his left arm had fallen onto the floor. Wires were protruding from where his arm used to be and that they were laying on a metal pipe.

-SYSTEM CHARGED-DISCONCECT_FROM_POWER-

He removed the wires from the pipe and then grabbed his disconnect arm with his good one. He began reattaching the wires together and reattached his arm.

_Great, I'm stuck in a small room with no way out_.

ENGAGING_WEAPON_MODE_TEST

_Weapon Mode?_

He looked down at his right arm and noticed that his hand had disappeared and had been replaced with a cannon-like apparatus.

_How do I operate this?_

He noticed that it felt like his right hand was still there, so he started making interior gestures. He did HAND_GUN, ROCK_FAN, and VULGAR_GESTURE (at least that's what the programing told him) without any results.

He then quickly made a fist and a burst of energy shot out of the cannon.

QUICK_SHOT

_Hmm, maybe if I closed my fist for longer..._

He did so, and a sound of charging power began to increase in volume. He let go, and a huge burst of energy was emitted. The burst was so powerful, it made a hole in the opposite wall.

He crawled out of the hole, and found himself in the ruins of a basement. Huge barrels (and their remains) were scattered across the floor. Broken glass and metal were also strewn about, papers with blotted text were hanging from the intact barrels and the walls.

Not to far away however, the figure of a person could be seen. He tried to call out but no sound came from his mouth.

_Why can I not talk?_

He decided to get the attention of the figure by making some sort of noise. He found a broken bottle and threw it towards the figure. The figure turned it's head and slowly approached the figure.

As the person got closer, the details became more clear. Eyes red as a Ruby, an emblem on his chest the color of an Amethyst, and a gem in a cross the color of a Sapphire.

"Who are you?" The figure asked.

_I don't know, and I can't talk!_

"Can you talk?"

The confused one shook his head.

"Where are you from?"

The silent one pointed to the hole he came from. The figure made his way to the hole and saw the alcove.

"Peculiar...I'm guessing that you don't know how you got there"

The silent one nodded.

"I see...well I am willing to help you find out. You'll just need to follow me"

The silent one nodded again, and the two began walking through the ruined basement. Water leaked ever so violently from the ceiling, and when the two approached the stairs to exit the basement it became clear why.

The basement happened to be part of an abandoned Mansion like place, for as the two entered the first floor, the remains of a grand staircase were visible due to the lightning strikes.

"I come here sometimes to just unwind" The figure spoke "I like to reminisce with periods of time that I had not been with"

The two exited the front door, and a black vehicle was parked outside.

_How old is that car? It's even old compared to my memories_.

"Like my ride? I've modified it for current travel situations. You can lay down in the back if you like"

The silent one got into the back and laid down on the leather seats.

"It's hard getting the right parts to turn an late 20th century car into a late 21st century vehicle"

The figure started the engine, and a electric hum resonated through the vehicle as it lifted into the air.

"My creator lives not to far from here"

The two remained silent as the vehicle traveled through the air. As the car prepared to descend, the silent one saw a metallic building in which the front facade was a skull.

"My master is not known for his subtleties"

It remained stormy as they approached the structure. The figure approached the door and pressed a button on the side.

"Bass? Is that you?" A voice angrily replied.

"Yes doctor, it's me"

"Where have you been?"

"Out"

"_Out _he says. Well I understand that you have been out, but you haven't been _out_ for as long as you used to have been. May I inquire as to why?"

"I found a strange robot in the abandoned Modern Mansion facility"

"You have? What's his name?"

"That's the strange thing, he apparently can't speak"

"Bring him in then, at least I assume it's a him"

"The robot does appear to be male"

The metallic door opened and the two robot entered. The interior was strewn with many pipes, wires, and other electrical equipment strewn about.

"Pardon my creator's mess. He suffered a massive loss a number of days ago"

The two continued through the halls and then approached an open door. Inside was a balding man, wearing a white lab coat and sitting on a office chair. The room had what appeared to be a strange operating table, and scattered about were rolling part racks with parts protruding from the unclosed shelves. In the man's hand was a strange box with wires protruding from it.

_Thank goodness! He has a voice box!_

"So this is the robot you found" The man spoke to Bass. He then turned to the silent robot "come lay down on the table so I can install a voice box"

The robot did so, and the balding man opened up the robot's chest.

"Bass, could you get me the soldering iron?"

Bass walked off and returned with the requested device. The two looked inside the silent robot's chest and began work.

_I hope that I can speak soon..._

"Eh?" The scientist asked "What's this?"

The two looked inside and saw that wires were tangled, parts were bent and mangled, and things dangled from the endoskeleton.

"My goodness" Bass spoke "Your circuitry is a mess!"

"There's no way to install the voice box without a complete overhaul of the system" The scientist spoke.

_No, no no no no NO! I have to speak! There must be some way to communicate!  
_  
"We can fix him, but we don't have the time or the resources for now"

"At least we can get some background on him. Get me my laptop"

Bass quickly ran off and the scientist remained with the silent robot.

"I'm sorry to break it to you, but in order to repair you, you need to be powered off for a long period of time"

_NO! DON'T TURN ME OFF!  
_  
"I'm not willing to do that until we find out more about your origins. I just need to find your memory"

The scientist began digging through the silent robot's interior and found a damaged hard drive.

"BASS! HAVE YOU FOUND MY LAPTOP YET?"

The robot hurried into the room with the portable computer "Sorry doctor, I had a little trouble locating it"

The scientist signed as he left the silent robot momentarily and returned with a double male USB cable. He plugged one end into the robot and the other into the computer.

-DEAF_ROBOT_SPEAKER-  
Version1.2  
CONNECTING...

"This will allow us to 'hear' you and look up your identification. Your thoughts will appear on my computer screen. Think 'Yes' if you understand"

_Yes  
_  
"-YES" appeared on the laptop screen.

"Alright then, what is your name?"

_Rhythm, I think.  
_  
"Who is your creator?"

_I don't remember  
_  
"Where did Bass locate you?"

_He found me in a walled up alcove. I was able to get out by using my arm cannon.  
_  
"Why were you not able to get out before?"

_I don't know, but I think that the lightning storm hit the building intensely enough for power to run through the pipes and contact with wires that were protruding from my left arm socket.  
_  
"How did you end up in the alcove?"

_I don't know_.

Suddenly, the computer made a noise and information appeared on the laptop screen.

INFORMATION  
-NAME:RHYTHM  
-PROJECT NAME:-4-2-nat0-  
-CREATOR:INFORMATION_UNOBTAINABLE  
-ACTIVATION_DATE:INFORMATION_UNOBTAINABLE  
-ABILITIES:  
*EMOTION  
*REASON  
*LOGIC  
*INDEPENDENT_THOUGHT  
*PREPROGRAMED_INTELLIGENCE

*ARM_CANNON  
*COPY_ABILITIES  
*INCREASED_STRENGTH  
*CREATIVITY[BETA]  
*IMAGINATION[BETA]  
*LOVE[BETA]  
*SYMPATHY[BETA]  
-ACTIVATION_DATE:INFORMATION_UNONTAINABLE  
ERRORS:  
-MEMORY_CORRUPTED[UN-DELETABLE]  
-POWER_CAPACITY_WEAKENED

"What do you think Doctor Wily?" Bass asked.

"I don't think that I'll be able to solve this conundrum on my own. I think that I'll need the help of..." The man paused.

Silence resonated throughout the room, but was interrupted by a sound from the laptop.

INDEPENDENT_ERROR  
-MENTAL_STATE_DROPPING

-PLEASE_DON'T_LEAVE_ME IN_SILENCE!_I_CAN'T_STAND__THE SILENCE! PLEASE! SILENCE HAS BEEN ME FOR SO LONG!_

_The silence uses up my power in desperation for a voice or a sign of life! Don't leave me in silence!_

"I'm sorry Rhythm" The scientist spoke "I've never encountered a robot with a condition such as yours"

Bass expressed an idea quickly left the room.

"BASS! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

"I have an idea!" The robot shouted. The rustling of parts was heard and the robot returned with an old device.

"What's with the Walkman?" Dr. Wily asked.

"If he keeps hearing some sort of noise, he won't lose his power"

Bass took the headphones of the Walkman and placed it over the ears of Rhythm and pressed play.

"_Hello darkness, my old friend_

_I've come to talk with you again"_

Bass pressed the stop button after immediately realizing the song. "Let me get a different tape"

Bass rushed out of the room. To prevent breakdown, Rhythm struck up a conversation.

_Your creation is one of the most benevolent Robots I have ever met...at least when it comes to my shattered memory._

"Thank you" Dr. Wily replied "I just wish that others saw him the way you do"

_How come?_

"Me and my creations are known for their...less than helpful purposes"

_I understand that you do not wish to talk about that._

"You are very wise"

_Am I? If I was, I wouldn't have ended up in that alcove. For who knows how many years that lightning had struck the pipes of that lonely prison and taunted me with temporary life. I'm glad that tonight I had charged up enough to be reborn, like the phoenix from the ashes._

"I'm glad that you are grateful"

Just then, Bass returned with a different cassette tape and placed it into the Walkman and pressed play.

"_The Cask of Amontillado_

_By Edgar Allan Poe_

_Read by Eric Allan_

_THE thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge"  
_  
Bass pressed stop on the tape. "I think that he should rest and recharge. I'll bring him to my quarters and leave the window open so he can hear the rain"

_That will be fine._

"Alright then Rhythm" Dr. Wily spoke "You will be staying here for a while. Tomorrow I'll contact my associate and we'll begin repairing you"

Rhythm took the laptop in his hands as Bass led the silent one to his bedchamber.

"You can sleep on the bed, your delicacy requires that you not be on anything hard"

Bass then opened the window, and connected a power source to the chest of Rhythm.

_Thank you Bass. And sweet dreams._

"Dreams? When do you remember dreams?"

_A long time ago, but I do not remember when or what they contained._

Rhythm then closed his eyes and began a sleep mode. Bass just stared at the strange robot, and like a raven he watched ever so diligently.


	2. Chapter 2

The Good Wario

_"You say that you love me. Do you say that as if you are a boyfriend to a girlfriend? a husband to a wife? or a child to a parent?"_

_A child to a parent._

_"You do know that your birth is not like that of a human's, correct?"_

_Yes father._

_"That's a good son. You are my son, and you will be the first robot to be able to love"_

_What exactly is love?_

_"Love is something I wish that I could feel and not only define. I have programmed love to be the happiness of another making you happy and the sadness of another making you sad. You can lose love however. If one does not love you anymore and shows it, you will lose the love that you have for that person"_

_What if I still love someone if they don't love me?_

_"That is when it gets complicated. Your love is in the rawest form, a beta program"_

_Is that why my powers are at a bare minimum?_

_"Yes. To test the programming I have made for you, the computing has been made to focus on the beta programing and not the already tired and true software"_

_When will you show me the city?_

_"Very soon. Now, just rest"_

_Could I read a book first?_

_"...Sure, what would you like to read?"_

_The book you were reading earlier._

_"It isn't a book of one tales. It contains many"_

_I'll read one of the stories then._

_"Here you are"_

The Tell-Tale Heart_...a love story I should think.  
_

The rain continued into the morning as Dr. Wily nervously made a phone call.

"This is the residence of Dr. Light. He's not here at the moment, how may I help you"

Dr. Wily sighed as he began to speak "Is this the one known as Mega Man?"

Silence momentarily dominated the line "Is this Dr. Wily?"

"That's not important right now..." Dr. Wily replied, realizing it was probably the worst reply he could think of.

"That all depends on the reason for your call. Why did you call?"

"Bass located a strange robot last night. His voice box is ruined and his circuitry is a mess. I need help repairing him"

"Why do you need help? Don't you have all the parts at your base?"

"They were exhausted for my most recent...enterprise...I just need enough parts to make one Master grade robot"

Mega Man pondered for a moment "Fine...I'm bringing Roll with me, and if you try anything, It'll be hard to not destroy Rule one. I'll be there in a couple hours"

Meanwhile in Bass chamber, the thoughts of Rhythm were being dictated onto the screen of the laptop. Bass was reading them intently.

_To be buried while alive is, beyond question, the most terrific of these extremes which has ever fallen to the lot of mere mortality. That it has frequently, very frequently, so fallen will scarcely be denied by those who think. The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?  
_  
"What are you thinking?" Bass inquired.

-EXITING_SLEEP_MODE  
-WELCOME_BACK_RHYTHM  
-WHAT_DO_YOU_MEAN_WHAT_AM_I_THINKING?

"You were thinking about premature burial. It was clearly outlined on the laptop"

_What? Oh, you can read my non-conscious thoughts as well?_

"It seems to be so"

_Oh...well it seems that I was remembering the text from some Edgar Allan Poe. A piece titled _Premature Burial_._

"Sounds rather morbid, at least it would if I was a human"

_It's morbid to me, for I had been buried alive for quite some time._

"I see..." Bass responded as he scrolled through the dictated thoughts. As Bass scrolled, he noticed a strange dialogue. "It seems that you were talking to someone in your thoughts, it seems to be your creator. Did you visualize him?"

_No, nor did i see myself. I only saw a wall of interacting texts. I don't even think that what I thought of was from one particular discussion with my creator. I remember talking about the aspect of my creation before talking about my capability of love._

"Do you have the capability of dreams?"

_Dreams? Yes I think so, for dreams appear to be aspects of our own life combined with disconnected details sealed with the power of our own imagination._

"Imagination. How does that work?"

_I don't know. But maybe if my Love was explained through dreams, so could my Imagination._

Just then, Dr. Wily entered the room. "Is Rhythm doing okay?"

"He appears to be fine" Bass replied "do you need me to make breakfast for you doctor?"

"No I'll make it myself. Take Rhythm to the workshop so Mega Man can work on him"

"Mega Man? Why him?"

"Dr. Light is somewhere else. Mega Man is the next best option because he'll still bring the necessary parts"

Bass sighed as he helped Rhythm up. Rhythm carried the laptop as the two robots made their way downstairs and Bass helped Rhythm onto the workshop table.

"How's your mentality holding up?" Bass asked.

_The rain keeps me sane._

"It won't last forever"

_I understand, just bring me some music and I'll be fine._

"I'll have to look through the many parts we've acquired"

_That's fine_.

Bass departed, and after about fifteen minuets, he returned with a milk crate full of cassettes.

"I don't know which ones will work. I'll test them all for now, so tell me if any are extremely unpleasant"

Bass inserted the first tape and pressed play.

_"Well we all have a face  
that we hide away forever_"

_"Everyday my metal friend  
shakes my bed at 6 AM"  
_  
_"Move yourself  
you always live your live  
never thinking of the future"  
_  
"It's amazing that these cassette tapes still work after all these years"

_It's amazing that I'VE been able to work after all these years_.

"Indeed. But there's still one thing that puzzles me"

_That is?  
_  
"Your project name, -4-2-nat0-"

_I don't know about it either. The reason could materialize during one of my dreams.  
_  
Bass shrugged as he inserted another tape.

_"Sweet dreams are made of this  
who am i to disagree?"_

The tape testing continued as Dr. Wily prepared some cereal and began reading the news off of his tablet.

"RENOWNED ROBOT SCIENTIST TRAVELS TO SCIENCE MORALITY DEBATE"

-Dr. Thomas Light, revered scientist best known for creating the heroic creation known as Mega Man, has departed to New York City to engage in numerous debates involving the ethical stances of robot treatment. These debates will hopeful strengthen the answers people have had for years about robots. One of the more pressing questions asks about the treatments of malfunctioning robots. Should they be completely destroyed? Should their memory be erased and the robot reactivated? Should the robot be detained and questioned for their motives? Dr. Light wished to make no official statement, saying that he would only voice his opinion at the debates.

"What does Dr. Light know about ethics when he has Mega Man do all the dirty work" Dr. Wily mumbled to himself.

Just then, a chime resonated throughout Dr. Wily's residence. The scientist left his food and made his way to the front door and opened it. Outside was a blank faced Mega Man and a slightly worried looking Roll. The two of them were carrying carrying cases filled with robot components.

"Good Morning Dr. Wily" Mega Man blankly spoke.

"Morning Mega Man, come in out from the rain"

The two robots entered and Wily closed the door behind the two.

"Where's this robot?" Roll hurriedly asked.

"He's in my workshop, follow me"

The three silently walked through the fortress and when they approached the door to the workshop, Mega Man and Roll were stymied at the sight.

Bass was intently watching the silent robot, who was playing air drums as the music blared from the walkman's headphones.

_"Well I've been waiting, waiting here so long_  
_But thinking nothing, nothing could go wrong"_

When Bass realized that guests were present, he stopped the tape.

"May I ask why this robot was 'rocking out'?" Mega Man asked.

"This robot has a interesting programing condition. If at any point he is surrounded by silence, his programing over uses its power because if fears loneliness"

"Why on earth would a robot end up in such a condition?" Roll asked.

"Bass found him walled up in an alcove of an abandoned building. The reason Bass was able to locate him was due to the fact that lightning struck the structure he was walled up in, and protruding wires contacted with pipes that carried the electrical circuit"

Mega Man approached the table and placed the carrying cases on the floor.

"Alright then, what's your name?"

Rhythm slowly picked up the laptop he was connected to and showed Mega Man the screen.

-HELLO_THERE_MEGA_MAN

_My name is Rhythm. I apologize for my inability to speak, for my voice box is destroyed. I understand that you may want to know about my origins, creator, or activation date, but my memory has also been damaged as well.  
_  
Mega Man turned to Bass. "What an odd robot"

_What would make you a judge of what's odd or not? We only say things are odd because we have never experienced them before._

Mega Man shrugged "Alright then Rhythm, in order to fully repair you we must shut you down for a while"

Rhythm shook his head.

_Please no! I've been without power for so long that I can't stand the concept!_

Dr. Wily approached Mega Man.

"He's extremely sensitive to the concept of being inactive, due to the fact he's been walled up for so many years"

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Mega Man asked.

As the group pondered, Rhythm pressed play on the walkman.  
_  
"She has a built in ability to take everything she sees  
And now it seems I'm falling, falling for her"_

Roll spoke up "Maybe if we removed his limbs one by one, we can slowly tighten the circuitry from the extremities to the core"

Mega Man, Bass, and Dr. Wily turned to Roll.

"That's an amazing idea sis!" Mega Man exclaimed, he then turned to Rhythm "but which limbs should we start with?"

_Start with my legs first. It will make it easier for me to maneuver if my legs are repaired._

"Alright then" Mega Man announced "we'll begin with the legs. We'll need standard robot making tools, and I need to check on the condition of the wires in the legs and the servos"

Dr. Wily retrieved a tool kit and Roll began going through the carrying cases for parts.

"What would you like me to do?" Bass asked.

"Check his hard drive and memory. See if we can transfer it to a external hard drive"

Bass nodded, and momentarily left while Mega Man and Dr. Wily began to remove the legs.

"It's a shame we can't turn this robot off" Mega Man mumbled "If we could, repair would be so much easier"

"We're dealing with unusual conditions here" Dr. Wily replied.

Bass returned with his own personal laptop and connected it to Rhythm.

"Comfortable?" Bass asked.

_It feels like my legs are disappearing._

"You'll be fine, just keep the cassette playing so you don't lose energy"

_I understand. By the way, what exactly are you looking at?_

"The condition of your memory. I want to see if we can be able to transfer your memories and personality to a surrogate body so that we can completely refurbish your central operating systems. There are certain repairs that we can only implement when your power is completely off"

_Don't turn me off._

"I never said we were. If we are able to transfer your memory into another robot, we can work on your body without turning off your mind"

_I understand._

Bass read through the diagnostic details as the music of _Genesis _continued to reverberate in Rhythm's ears.

-TEST_MEMORY_STATUS  
-TESTING...  
-PRE-PROGRAMED_ABILITES:NORMAL  
-MEMORIES_CORRUPTED-UNDELETABLE  
-TRANSFER_STATUS:_ANALYZING...  
_  
Bass watched anxiously as the analyzed the memory status.

-TRANSFER_STATUS:ERROR-NON-TRANSFERABLE  
-ANY_ATTEMPT_TO_TRANSFER_THE_MEMORY_TO_ANOTHER_BANK_WILL_RESULT_IN_ERASURE  
-NEW_MEMORY_BANKS_CAN_BE_ANNEXED_BUT_EXISTING_MEMORY_CAN_NOT_LEAVE_EXISTING_SYSTEM

Bass hit his hand on the table in anger, fully realizing the condition of Rhythm.

-ERROR-POWER_MEMORY_LOSS  
-SHUT_DOWN_WILL_MOST_LIKELY_RESULT_IN_MEMORY_ERASURE  
-POWER_RUNDOWN_NOR_SLEEP_MODE_WILL_RESULT_IN_ERASURE

Bass sighed as he read the new error and explained the situation to Rhythm_._

_If I am shut down, my memory is lost._

"Only if we shut you down manually"

_How come?_

"I believe it has to do with the fact that your memory is corrupted. The system wants to retain the memories but the shutdown threatens the existence"

_So what are we going to do?_

"I do not know yet, but let me examine your interior systems"

Bass left for a moment, Genesis still ringing in the ears of Rhythm, and returned with a flashlight.

"Okay, let me see what ills you"

Bass took the flashlight and began rummaging through Rhythm's internal circuitry while the cassette tape continued to play.

"_I must have dreamed a thousand dreams  
been haunted a million screams"  
_  
"Oh my goodness" Bass spoke to himself.

_What is it Bass?  
_  
"Your internal circuitry is in a condition that could only have on explanation, sabotage"

_My circuitry has been sabotaged?  
_  
Bass ran off and returned with Dr. Wily and Mega Man.

"Take a good look at the wiring" Bass spoke as he gave the two a penlight each.

The two began to look inside, Dr. Wily using a pen to move the wiring around while Mega Man used his fingers.

Dr. Wily sighed as he turned his attention to Bass. "Who could have done this?"

"Anyone" Mega Man replied "this could have all be done with any number of ways. Metal snips, low toxic acid, aerosol and a flame, the possibilities are endless"

"How is not important. What is important is who and why!" Bass shouted.

"Well do you have any ideas Sherlock?" Mega Man quipped.

Bass shrugged "I don't know. But what I do know is that Rhythm's condition means that he's going to be disabled for a while"

"Fine then" Mega Man huffed as he began to walk off "I better get back to repairing Rhythm's legs"

"I'll be with you in a moment" Dr. Wily replied. He then kept looking through the robot and saw the memory bank. On it were some engraved words.

THE PROTOMETHEUS'S PROMETHEUS

"The Prometheus's Prometheus? What does that mean?" Dr. Wily asked.

The computer made a noise as Rhythm began to speak.

_Maybe it means that a robot made me._

"A robot may have made you?" Dr. Wily asked "But who? If there's no information of your creation or activation date, there's any number of robots who make robots who could have made you"

The scientist then left, but Bass just stared at the wretched robot.

"You will be fixed Rhythm" Bass lightly spoke.

Rhythm just laid on the table as the lyrics that were blaring in his ears were dictated on to the laptop.

-STAND_UP_AND_LET'S_START_SHOWING  
_Just where our lives are going to._


	3. Chapter 3

Mega Man was analyzing the original components of Rhythm's legs while Roll was installing the new parts on the left leg when Dr. Wily returned.

"About time you returned" Mega Man quipped.

"I was just checking more of Rhythm's interior components"

"Alright then" Mega Man grumbled.

Dr. Wily cocked his eyebrow "Why are you so bitter Mega Man? Do you not trust me?"

"YES!" Mega Man exclaimed as he dropped a tool "Because after all these years of me letting you go, or your numerous escapes, and the massive amounts oil and circuitry that I have made your creations spill makes me A LITTLE suspicious"

"ALRIGHT!" Dr. Wily shouted "I understand that you don't trust me. But if you do not, why did you come?"

"Mainly out of boredom" Mega Man replied "I've been searching for Proto Man the past few weeks and my search has been fruitless"

Roll rolled her eyes, indicating that she knew the true reason. Dr. Wily thought nothing of it though as he began work on the right leg.

"Dr. Wily," Roll began "do you think that robots could go insane? I asked Dr. Light but he said that it was impossible"

"I think that if robots can be afraid of certain things, like silence or being shutdown, that they can certainly lose their 'Minds'"

It was then when Mega Man approached the two. "Dr. Wily, could I get a professional opinion on something?"

"As long as if it doesn't involve illicit activites"

Mega Man groaned as he handed some servos to the scientist "Can you confirm how old these parts are?"

Dr. Wily examined the parts carefully, checking the condition of the component and looking at the part numbers.

"Peculiar" Dr. Wily spoke "I haven't seen parts like this since the first Robot Masters"

"I knew they were familiar" Mega Man spoke "I recall that Dr. Light removed parts like those when he gave me a hardware upgrade"

"So that means that Rhythm must have been made some point during my first...well..."

"Regretful are we?" Mega Man snidely remarked.

Dr. Wily glared at Mega Man as he handed back the servos and returned to Rhythm's right leg.

Bass entered the workshop with a cup of coffee in hand for his creator.

"Hello there" Bass said with a nervous smile.

Mega Man just stared at the robot, Roll had no reaction, and Dr. Wily was the only one to turn.

"Hello there Bass" Dr. Wily spoke as he put down his tool and received the coffee "How's Rhythm doing?"

"He's doing okay, but he has expressed an interest to talk to Mega Man" Bass answered. He then turned to Mega Man "I could do some work while you can go on a break Mega Man"

"Oh no. I am not leaving my sister alone with you two"

Bass sighed "I never said that you had to leave Roll here. In fact, I think that Rhythm would like to meet your sister as well"

Roll turned to Mega Man "Could we? I've been overloading my circuits during these repairs"

Mega Man shrugged "Alright then, come on Roll"

The brother and sister left and Bass took over Roll's repair work.

"What bug crawled into Mega Man's circuits?" Bass grumpily asked.

"He doesn't trust the two of us. Can't say that I blame him" Dr. Wily responded.

Mega Man and Roll made their way to where Rhythm lay and saw him relaxing with a cassette tape. The volume was so high that Mega Man and Roll could hear the audio from the tape.

_"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,  
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,  
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,  
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.  
'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, 'tapping at my chamber door;  
Only this, and nothing more.'"  
_  
Mega Man initially said nothing, but Roll broke the uneasy silence "Are we disturbing you?"

Rhythm stopped the tape, and the laptop made noises.

-NO_YOU_TWO_ARE_NOT_DISTURBING_ME_AT_ALL

"So you don't mind us coming in?" Roll asked.

_Not at all. Pull up a chair or something._

Roll pulled up a stool while Mega Man just kept standing.

"So how do you feel?" Roll inquired.

_I feel...slightly displaced, but that's probably due to the fact that my legs were missing._

Mega Man and Roll turned to each other in confusion.

_What's the matter, do you not know how to laugh?_

"We know how to laugh and what laughter is," Roll answered "It's just that..."

_You don't have a sense of humor?_

"I guess you could say that..."

_I can't really say anything at the moment._

"I understand what you are getting at, but I think that robot's don't have a sense of humor because they don't need to laugh"

_Robot's don't need to laugh? I think that they do. Robots, like humans, can be subject to any number of unfortunate events and need to be enlightened. That is why I have been trying to crack minor jokes to make me feel better._

"Can you laugh?"

_Only if I had a voice box installed._

Rhythm then turned his attention to Mega Man, for he had not spoken since his arrival into the room.

_Why do you not speak? Am I not the only silent robot here?_

"I don't speak because I wish not to"

_Why do you wish not to?_

"I don't have anything to say"

_Really? Or do you say that because you wish not to speak what's on your mind?_

"I rarely speak my mind in public company"

_Oh? Do you not speak because you feel like it's not important? Or because you fear the consequences?_

Mega Man scowled "What are you implying?"

_I'm not implying anything, I'm just asking questions._

"I suggest that you stop asking questions and just be glad that you are being repaired"

_I'd rather be in the state I'm in and be able to ask questions than be in working order and not able to ask any!_

"Rock! Stop this!" Roll pleaded.

Mega Man stormed off and left Roll and Rhythm alone.

_Rock? What an interesting nickname._

"It's because we're brother and sister. Before Mega Man was known as he is now, he was called Rock. I am Roll, so together we are..."

_Rock and Roll. I understand._

"It's strange though" Roll spoke "Rock and Roll, in the music world, used to be a singular thing. Now we have Rock with out the Roll, do you think that the same will happen to me and Mega Man"

_I hope not. For you are a wonderful girl and you are lucky to have a brother like Mega Man._

"Thank you Rhythm" Roll replied. She was about to leave when the computer made a noise.

_Roll, could you fulfill a minor request?_

"What do you want me to do?"

_Just plant your lips onto my forehead, nothing else._

Roll slowly approached Rhythm, and did just that. She almost embraced him, but she retracted for some unknown reason.

"You are strange Rhythm" Roll spoke as she left him.

Rhythm smiled as he pressed play on the walkman.

_"Ah, distinctly I remember, it was in the bleak December,  
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.  
Eagerly I wished the morrow; vainly I had sought to borrow  
From my books surcease of sorrow, sorrow for the lost Lenore,.  
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore,  
Nameless here forevermore."  
_  
Bass was a little surprised when he saw Mega Man return alone in a huff.

"How are the legs coming along?" Mega Man asked with a tone of aggravation.

"They're almost done. We'll be able to put them on tomorrow morning"

"Good" Mega Man bluntly replied.

Bass retreated from the leg and confronted Mega Man "Alright then Mega Man, ever since you arrived you've been in a unpleasant mood. What the heck is ticking you off?"

"You and Dr. Wily. To think that you two had the audacity to call ME of all people to work on this strange robot that you found by random chance!"

"Then why did you agree?"

"I had nothing better to do" Mega Man bluntly replied.

"Oh really? Because it seems that you would rather not even be in the first place. Or is your curiosity more intense that your boredom?"

"That's absurd"

"Is it? For your attitude seems to suggest that you are not just angry at me and Dr. Wily and me, but for other reasons as well! What has made you more loathsome than a drunk Dr. Wily?"

"It's none of your business"

"Is it because that Rhythm brought up something that you can't vision your self confronting?"

"SHUT UP!"

"No, I'm going to savor this for all that I can. Because if I can't destroy your body, I can ruin your mind"

"You can't get to me!"

"Oh really? Do you regret defeating robots that you had once worked on and treated as your own work? Are you tired of fighting the same kinds of battles again and again? Do you ever think if Proto Man sees you as a true hero or just as a pawn for human interests?"

"YES! YES! YES!" Mega Man shouted as he collapsed on the floor "I do regret, I am tired, and I do wonder"

"Then why don't you tell someone?" Dr. Wily asked.

"I tell Roll about my inquiries, but we often come to the conclusion that we should ask Dr. Light"

"What does Dr. Light say?"

"He says that I shouldn't ask about such things" Mega Man replied "he tells me that it's none of my concern"

"If it isn't, why do you remain concerned?" Bass asked.

"The questions keep coming back to me" Mega Man weakly answered as he got up from the floor.

Roll silently entered after realizing that the yelling had ended. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yes" Mega Man replied "We're fine"

Roll approached his brother and the two began to resume work on Rhythm's right leg.

Bass and Dr. Wily returned to Rhythm's left leg and resumed repairs.

"Mega Man," Roll began "why did you storm out?"

Mega Man sighed "He made me wonder. He made me think if Dr. Light truly cares about me or doesn't want me be independent and always under his control"

"Like Proto Man?"

Mega Man silently nodded.

Meanwhile, Dr. Wily and Bass were talking as well.

"I feel like I did something wrong" Bass admitted.

"What?" Dr. Wily asked.

"I feel like I shouldn't have taunted Mega Man like that. I feel like I did something bad"

Dr. Wily scoffed "You say you did something bad when you've been doing bad things you've considered good for who knows how many years"

Bass shrugged as the leg repair continued.

Rhythm just laid down silently, with the sounds of the Walkman giving him comfort.

_"And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting  
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;  
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming.  
And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;  
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor  
Shall be lifted-nevermore!"_


	4. Chapter 4

"Do you think we're done with the legs?" Bass asked.

"I think so" Dr. Wily answered "Let me get my tablet and we'll run a test"

"Okay then. I'll ask Mega Man and Roll how they are doing"

Bass left his workstation and approached the brother and sister "How are things going?"

"Were just working on the finishing touches," Mega Man replied "after we're done we can test it"

"Good, because Dr. Wily is preparing the test programing now"

Bass briefly left the group to check on Rhythm. The legless robot was still lying on the table, and was reaching over to insert another cassette tape.

"How are you doing Rhythm?"

-I'VE_BEEN_DOING_WELL

"We're almost done with repairing your legs. We'll reinstall them tomorrow"

_Wonderful! What will you be repairing next?_

"We haven't really decided yet, but we believe that we will work on your arm cannon arm tomorrow"

_Will I still be able to play tapes?_

"I think so. Operating a Walkman does not necessarily require two hands"

_Thanks goodness...is it possible for me to see the legs be tested?_

Bass cocked an eyebrow "You want to see the legs be tested? Just one sec"

Bass left momentarily and returned with a old wheelchair. He took Rhythm's body and placed him into the wheelchair. Rhythm took the laptop he was connected to and held it.

The two traveled down the hallway and when they arrived the repairers were intrigued.

"Why is he here?" Dr. Wily asked.

"Rhythm expressed interest in seeing his legs being tested"

"I don't see why he can't watch" Mega Man replied.

Rhythm watched his companions as they finished repairing his legs. When the two were done, a pair of cables were attached to a PC unit with the unused ends attached to Rhythm's legs.

Dr. Wily opened up a computer program and began typing information in.

"I just hope that the old parts are recognized by the computer even though we installed new parts" Dr. Wily spoke to himself.

The doctor kept typing and then pressed the enter. After a few moments, the computer made a noise that indicated the legs were detected. Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.

The legs began to bend. At the knees, the ankles, and the other joints of the robotic legs.

At one point, the ankle of the left leg stalled and everyone acted concerned. Thankfully after a few moments the leg continued to move.

-TEST_STATUS:-SUCESS-PARTS_NOW_FULLY_FUNCTIONAL

Rhythm smiled as the repairers expressed happiness from their efforts.

Suddenly, Mega Man realized something "It's almost nine o'clock, right?"

Dr. Wily turned to a clock and saw that it read eight thirty. "Why do you ask Mega Man"

"Dr. Light said that his companions at the Robot Morality debates wished to talk to me via video. He told me to connect with him at Nine"

"Well you and your sister better get home" Bass remarked "you don't want Dr. Light knowing that you were HERE. Do you trust us with these parts?"

Mega Man glanced at Rhythm "I think that they can stay here. We'll install the legs tomorrow"

Mega Man said a brief goodbye as he and Roll exited.

Dr Wily flopped into his desk chair "Oof...what a day"

"Really? What was more intense? The repairs or the fear that Mega Man was going to book you?"

"To be perfectly honest, the combination of both exhausted me"

"I completely understand" Bass replied "I'm going to bring Rhythm to my chamber"

Bass pushed the wheelchair to his room and carefully placed Rhythm into the bed.

"How do you feel?"

_I feel fine._

"That's good, now let me get the Walkman and tapes"

Bass retreated and soon returned with the said devices and placed them next to Rhythm.

_Hey Bass, have you ever read the works of Edgar Allan Poe?_

"Reading is something I rarely do" Bass admitted. "I'm usually working on robots with Dr. Wily or wandering the streets of the city. Why do you ask?"

_My creator used to read. He read many books and gave them to me afterwards._

"Interesting, what is your favorite book?"

_I don't think it really counts as a book because it consists of many stories, but a book of works by Edgar Allan Poe always intrigue me. The fact that inside each persons Id is the wish to kill._

"You seem to be okay with that premise"

_The fact that human's wish to kill is one thing, doing it is another._

"True" Bass answered, and he tapped his floor on the ground to prevent silence from distressing Rhythm. "Do I remind you of any book characters?"

_Not of a book character, but of an author. Frederick Treves was an english surgeon during the nineteenth century and encountered a deformed man named Joseph Merrick. Joseph was known as "The Elephant Man" and was exhibited as a human curiosity. Frederick Treves brought him to his hospital to examine him and the two formed a strong bond. Dr. Treves wrote about Joesph in the book _The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences_.You are the doctor, and I'm the curiosity._

Bass sighed "I don't think that I am such a person. In my opinion, and I do admit that I haven't read the book, I compare myself to Alex from _A Clockwork Orange_. I relish in the pain in others, I disobey the common order, I like to have my own kind of fun and I don't care who gets hurt"

_I really don't see that in you._

"That's because the version of me you see isn't my true form"

_Well if that is your true form, let's say that you were arrested like Alex from _A Clockwork Orange_. In the story, Alex volunteers for an experimental treatment. This treatment "reprograms" Alex to be an ideal citizen, but he ceases to be human. Now you are not human Bass, a condition that unchangeable, and this means that you can be reprogrammed. You are given a choice in prison. You can either be yourself for as long as you exist, meaning you have no chance of release if you stay as who you are, or you can be reprogrammed to be a different kind of robot and be released immediately. What would you choose?_

Bass pondered as he tapped his foot. Rhythm, realizing that Bass was thinking, turned back on his walkman.

_"I'm singin' in the rain_  
_just singin' in the rain_  
_what a glorious feeling_  
_I'm happy again"_

"I'll have to get back to you on that question Rhythm. Just rest for now"

Bass left the room as Gene Kelly's singing soothed Rhythm's programming.

Bass walked down the hall and approached the workshop where Wily was last.

"Doctor Wily," Bass began as he approached the doorway "may I ask you a..." the robot paused when he saw the doctor sleeping in his office chair.

Bass approached the scientist and waved his hand in front of Wily's face. He gave the doctor a poke, but no response was given.

"Alright then," Bass began as he crossed his arms "may I ask you a question?"

Dr. Wily laid on the chair without responding.

"Okay then, do you mind if I walk around the fortress's perimeter for a while?"

No response.

"I can? Are you sure?"

Still no response.

"I'll may not be able to return if you need me"

Inertia was Dr. Wily's condition.

"Okay then, I'll be back in a while"

Bass then left the scientist to saw his logs and made his way to the exit. As the rebellious robot left the building, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky. The lone robot shrugged and began to wander around the fortress.

Meanwhile, back at the residence of Dr. Light, Mega Man was patiently waiting for Dr. Light to connect to his end of the video discussion. He prepared the video at a quarter to nine and it was already a quarter past.

"Are you ever going to show up tonight?" Mega Man asked himself.

To his relief, the screen indicated that a connection was made and a group of slightly imbibed scientist appeared on the screen.

"Hello there Rock" Dr. Light spoke.

"Hello there dad" Mega Man replied.

"Now Rock, remember what I said about greeting people in formal situations?"

"How would this be considered a formal situation?"

"Let us ask the questions Rock. But first, let me introduce you to my companions" Dr. Light left the frame and three scientists appeared.

"My African-American acquaintance is Doctor Cadillac. He mainly works in the field of industrial purpose robots, much like those used in manufacturing. My Japanese friend is Doctor Urayasu, a leader in audio-animatronics. And finally my Caucasian friend is Doctor Grey, a leading psychiatrist"

"Alright then," Mega Man replied "Who want's to go first?"

"I would like to" Doctor Urayasu began "and I do not being called Doctor U"

"Please Doctor Urayasu," Doctor Light interrupted "I insist on formalities"

"Alright then," the scientist replied, slightly shaken "My first question is whether audio-animatronics should be treated the same way as a robot such as yourself"

"Well I think that all depends on the animatronics capabilities. An animatronic is different from a Robot like me due to the fact that an animatronic's actions are preset. I am capable of making my on decisions and actions, but that of a animatronic is limited. Great care should be implemented with animatronics and robots like me, but the capacity of an animatronic is much lower"

Dr. Cadillac raised his hand "What about when it comes to industrial robots?"

"Like robots that install electronic components or spray paint? Well much like the animatronics, manufacturing robots are not exactly capable of independent thought. If industrial robots and animatronics were replace with robots such as me, the measures would be more intense.

Dr. Grey spoke next "Rock, if I may call you that, you are a robot of superhuman capabilities and have done much good for humans. In being good, you have seen evil deeds done again and again. I'm curious, do you ever wish to do some sort of nefarious act? Some sort of crime or rebellion against the ruling order?"

Mega Man just stared into the eyes of the young looking psychiatrist and was speechless. "I...I...I wo..."

Dr. Light just glared at Mega Man with a face that distinctly said "No". He then approached the computer and disconnected from Mega Man. The robot just sat in the chair, amazed at the inquiry. Did he ever wish to commit some crime? Some deed of wrong? He thought to himself. He told himself that he's done so much good to others that he could never commit some illicit act. But Dr. Light, he didn't answer Mega Man's questions, his treatment ranged from son to creation, and Mega Man rarely voiced his opinion.

The answer was not defined, but he lusted for the answer.

Suddenly, the house phone rang. Mega Man ran to the phone and saw the ID. It was Dr. Light.

Roll approached the phone and saw that her brother was starting at it intently.

"Roll, I'm going to go out for a little bit. I need to cool my circuits. What ever you do, do NOT tell Dr. Light about our associations with Dr. Wily, Bass, nor Rhythm. If he asks about my reaction to a question that resulted in my silence, tell him that I had never thought about the concept before. Will you do that for me sis?"

"I will brother"

Mega Man let out a sympathetic smile "That's a good girl" he then left the residence and began to wander the streets.

"Have I ever wished to commit some nefarious act?" He asked himself as he wandered the streets. He stopped momentairly when he noticed a bookstore and saw a book titled "The Return of the Gadfly: Questions upon Questions". He decided to enter the bookstore and pick up an actual paper copy of the book, because digital copies had become so expensive. He wandered through the streets with Dr. Grey's question ringing through his head. When he returned home, he began to read the book and slowly fell into sleep mode.

Roll was about to go to bed as well, but had to take care of their robotic dog named Rush and saw that her brother was already in bed. She noticed that in her brother's hands was a book and his finger marked off one of the pages. She decided to look at what was on the page.

_"As for me, all I know is that I know nothing"  
_-Socrates

"What does that mean?" Roll asked herself "we all know something, so we can't know nothing"

She would have begun to read the book but decided to let her brother read it first. Roll decided however that she would slumber in the company of her brother.

As Mega Man and Roll slept, Bass still patrolled around the fortress while Rhythm listened to another cassette tape.

_"I've got no means to show identification  
I've got no papers showing what I am  
You'll have to take me just the way that you find me  
What's gone is gone and I do not give a damn"_


	5. Chapter 5

_"What are you trying to do rhythm?"_

_I'm trying to create something._

_"What exactly?"_

_I don't know. If I keep drawing in this notepad I might think of something._

_"Rhythm, I know that I programmed you with an imagination, but creation is something that is not forced. A creation come from something inspiring"_

_Like what?_

_"Anything! Music has been inspired by a child crawling around a room. Movies have been inspired by the crimes of other people. Tv shows have been inspired by the interactions of family members. Books have come from dreams"_

_So where do I find this inspiration?_

_"Anywhere. Inspiration can come from anywhere, as long as it is strong enough to begin an idea. So take a break from that notepad for a while"_

_Could I read another book?_

_"Would you like to read what I was reading a while ago?"_

_Sure._

_"Here you are. Now I must warn you, this book has been disturbing to humans"_

_I understand. Do you mind if I read aloud?  
_  
_"Not at all"_

_'What's it going to be then, eh?'_

Bass had been walking around the fortress for quite a while and noticed that he had been leaving a ever deepening trench in the mud as he walked around. The rustle of dead twigs and the squeaking of bending metal put Bass on edge for a reason that the robot himself wasn't even sure of. Curious of the time, he checked his internal computer and it told him that it was half past eleven.

"It's getting extremely late" Bass told himself "I should get some rest"

"Not so fast Bass" A voice spoke

Bass turned around and had his arm cannon ready to kill. He was glad he didn't, for it was a robot who had connections to both Dr. Wily and Dr. Light.

"Really Proto Man? You had to scare me like that?"

"I didn't intend to" The scarfed robot replied "why are you wandering?"

Bass dropped his arm cannon "No particular reason. Just wanted to...be with my thoughts"

"Really? What have you been thinking of?"

Bass stayed silent for a moment. Should he tell Proto Man about Rhythm?

"Uh, Proto Man, Do you know about the Modern Mansion facility?"

"I've been there a few times. I know that it's now in ruin and humans love to claim that ghosts roam the hallways of the abandoned building"

"Well I went there to clear my head last night, and I found a robot sealed up inside the wall"

"Really? What made you want to tear the wall?"

"I didn't tear the wall, the robot from inside did. Apparently some of his wiring was attached to a pipe that carried an electrical circuit. He gained enough power to use his arm cannon to destroy the wall and exit"

"Interesting, what is the robot capable of?"

"His programing states that he has Beta versions of Love, Imagination, Creativity, and Sympathy. He also seems to be knowledgeable of many forms of media"

Proto Man epressesed interest "May I see him?"

"Not now. For one thing, his internal circuitry and components have been sabotaged by an unknown culprit. He can't speak, his movement is currently unstable, and he drains power when he is in relative silence. The second thing is that me and Dr. Wily have been working intensely to repair the poor robot"

Proto Man crossed his arms "Dr. Wily isn't going to make him into a robot master is he?"

Bass took offense to this implication "I can't imagine him doing such a thing! Rhythm couldn't possibly have the capability to be a robot master. His disabilities are almost too intense to completely repair"

Proto Man just stared at Bass "Alright then, if you say so. But I would still like to see this strange robot"

"Come tomorrow night. He'll be in sleep mode but you can still look at his condition"

Proto Man walked into the darkness and Bass entered the fortress of Dr. Wily.

He made his way to the workshop where Dr. Wily had passed out and discovered that the scientist had traveled to his own bedroom. Bass shrugged and traveled to his chamber to be in the presence of the sleeping Rhythm. In the robot's hands was the Walkman that was his safeguard from breakdown. Bass could hear dialogue from the headphones along with a heartbeat decreasing in volume, rather than music and lyrics.

_"There is no dark side of the moon,_  
_as a matter of fact it's all dark"_

The tape ended, and Bass pressed the stop button. He removed the tape and placed it back into the case. He grabbed a different cassette tape and placed it into the walkman. He didn't press play, for he felt the drizzle would prevent Rhythm from power drain. He then turned to the laptop screen and saw that Rhythm had been indeed engaging in a discussion with an unknown person in his mind.

_You will never leave me, will you? You will always be there for me, right?_

_"I will be here for you to the best of my capabilities. I fear that circumstances may separate the two of us at any moment"_

_How come?_

_"Humans do not understand robots, and so they fear them. It's the nature of humans to fear what they can not understand"_

_Do all humans do this?_

_"Fortunately, some do not. They ask questions, learn more, try to understand to the best of their abilities"_

Bass wondered if the discussion between the two was linear, or disjointed like before. The observer's eyes began to falter, so he pushed play on the walkman and laid down next to the peculiar robot.

_"Must be getting early  
Clocks are running late  
Paint-by-number morning sky  
Looks so phony_

_Dawn is breaking everywhere_  
_Light a candle, curse the glare_  
_Draw the curtains I don't care 'cause_  
_It's all right"_

Bass's alarm clock beeped, and to be perfectly honest he didn't want to get up. He partially regretted last nights stroll, but in a way he didn't.

As Bass exited from sleep mode, he noticed that Rhythm was already awake, though appeared to be little out of energy.

-I_THINK_THAT_LISTENING_TO_THE_TAPE_USED_A_GOOD_AMOUNT_OF_MY_POWER

Bass apologized, and quickly rushed out of the room to retrieve an E-tank and poured it into Rhythm's mouth.

_Thank you._

"You're welcome," Bass spoke as he grabbed a cable that was attached to a surge protector "this should help you charge up a little more" Bass took the cable and connected it to Rhythm. "You should have full energy when we reinstall your legs"

_I understand, and I can not thank you and your friends enough for your help, even if you say that you four are not necessarily the best people.  
_  
Bass let out a nervous chuckle "It's not that simple Rhythm. You didn't really see it, but Dr. Wily and I happen to be enemies of Mega Man. I told you that my creator suffered a loss, it was due to a defeat by Mega Man. Dr. Light, Mega Man's creator, and Dr. Wily used to work together but Dr. Wily betrayed him. Now it seems just routine to lose"

Just then, the phone rang in the other room and Bass left to answer it.

"Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?" Bass asked.

"It's Mega Man"

"MEGA MAN? I'm glad that you called but how did you get our number?"

"I saved it from when Dr. Wily called yesterday. I just wanted to say that Roll and I will be arriving soon to install Rhythm's legs and repair the rest of him"

"You want to come back after all the grief we put you through?"

"It's better than boredom, we'll be there in about half an hour"

"Alright then, see you" Bass hung up the phone and began to locate Dr. Wily. The scientist was in the kitchen, preparing cereal.

"Morning Bass, who was on the phone?"

"It was Mega Man, he's coming to work on Rhythm some more"

Dr. Wily dropped his spoon is amazement "Really? I mean, he already gave us the parts we need"

"He's probably bored, and he could just be making sure that we are just repairing him and not converting him into a Robot Master"

Dr. Wily rolled his eyes "A deaf and anemic Robot Master? It seems cruel. I mean, what strengths does Rhythm have?"

"He's smart for one thing. He asks questions, knowledgable of older media, and is very philosophical. Plus there's the beta software we found him with. Love, imagination, creativity, and sympathy; I can't think of any other robot who has had the same attributes"

"Well I'm glad that he wasn't programmed a fighter; for if he was, I would have had serious doubts about whether to repair him"

"How come?"

"If he was a dangerous robot, his entombment may have been justified"

Bass expressed understanding as he approached the fridge to acquire an E-tank. "I'd better check on him. I accidentally forgot to connect him to power last night and cassette changing caused him to lose power"

Bass returned to his chamber to see that Rhythm was struggling to get into the wheelchair that had been previously used to transport him.

"Woahwoahwoah! Let's not be so eager Rhythm!" Bass shouted as he saved Rhythm from falling onto the floor.

_Sorry. I just wanted to be able to get into the wheelchair myself._

"I understand, but let me help you"

Bass picked up the top part of Rhythm and carefully placed the bot in the wheelchair. He then disconnected the power cable and placed Rhythm's method of communication on the robot's lap. The two traveled to the workshop and Rhythm cracked a smile when he saw his repaired legs ready to be reinstalled. Bass connected a different power cable to Rhythm, and helped the robot on the operating table.

_By the way Bass, did you think over my clockwork question?_

Bass ceased to move when he read Rhythm's question and remembered the details of the inquiry.

"I have been thinking over it," Bass began "but I still need weigh the options a little more"

_I understand. With a question like the one I asked you, the answer is not intended to be easy._

"Are you going to ask me more questions?"

_Of course. I'll ask Mega Man more, and I plan to ask Roll and Dr. Wily questions as well._

"I notice that your questions are not about your background, how come?"

_I am finding answers when I enter sleep mode. I ask questions that pertain to others rather than myself so I can prompt others to ask about me._

"Why do you want people to ask you stuff?"

_It's part of the Socratic Method. Questions upon questions that lead to an ultimate answer._

"Didn't Socrates say that 'The unexamined live is not worth living'?"

Rhythm just smiled as a chime came from the door. Bass approached the door and opened it to see Mega Man and Roll. Mega Man carried a shoulder bag, a difference compared to Mega Man's first visit, which intrigued Bass.

"Hello Mega Man. Hello Roll" Bass greeted.

"Hello there Bass" Mega Man replied with a little bit of emotion. Roll just nervously smiled.

"Rest well last night?" Bass inquired.

"For the most part, the questions involved in the video discussion were quite intense"

"What's with the shoulder bag?"

"I thought it would be helpful if I brought some of my own tools"

Bass shrugged as the three robots traveled to the workshop were Rhythm's top half was waiting. Dr. Wily had apparently finished breakfast, and was indulging in coffee as he began to prepare the reinstallation.

"Hello there Mega Man, hello Roll. Shall we get connecting?"

The robots nodded as they took the repaired legs off of a workbench and began to reattach the legs. Rhythm continually chatted as the operation proceeded.

-THIS_IS_A_STRANGE_EXPEREIENCE_FOR_ME

"I understand what you mean Rhythm" Mega Man spoke "When I had my first limb repair, it took me time to get used to the feeling"

"Humans also feel weird when they get their limbs replaced as well, whether surgically attached or a synthetic limb"

_Cyborgs. I understand what you mean. By the way Dr. Wily, what is your ultimate goal in creating robots?_

"Any one could tell you that" Mega Man spoke, slightly unnerved "He wishes to take over the world of course"

_Really? And why does he wish to do so?_

Reattaching the legs suddenly ceased. The four robots all turned their heads to Dr. Wily, for the reason why was always a burning question. The scientist was dumbfounded, for after all of these years he never truly had an answer.

"Do I have to answer the question immediately?"

_No doctor. I understand that my questions are hard, for that is the point. The answers involved in a philosophical inquiry are never easy._

The repairmen silently resumed their work, uneasy with the fact that Rhythm was so inquisitive. Rhythm let out no expression as he began playing another cassette tape.

_"I can't seem to face up to the facts_  
_I'm tense and nervous and I can't relax"_

The repairmen only spoke for need of a tool or problems that arose. Three of them were thinking about themselves while the other thought about Rhythm.

Bass thought about the question about him being reprogrammed to be free.

Dr. Wily thought about his motivations for his lust to dominate the world.

Mega Man had many questions on his mind. The ones that Rhythm imposed, the ones that Bass imposed, and the one that Dr. Grey from last night asked.

Roll just focused on work, feeling a strange emotion as the repair proceeded.

"Alright then" Dr. Wily spoke as he wiped his hands with a rag "I think that we're ready to see if Rhythm can stand"

Rhythm stopped the tape, and Bass held Rhythm's wheelchair to keep it in place. The silent robot pushed down against the armrests of the wheelchair, and began to stand up.

"How do you feel so far?" Dr. Wily asked.

_I feel good so far.  
_  
"Okay, now just try to walk towards me"

Rhythm slowly slid his right leg forward, getting used to the new motors and circuitry that had been installed. He slid the left leg next, using his arms as balance. Mega Man noticed that the laptop that Rhythm was attached to was sliding off of the laptop, so he followed the bot and carried the computer as Rhythm made his first step that involved lifting left his leg. His right leg followed, and Rhythm began to truly utilize the repairs and walked around at a normal pace, bending his knees and adjusting his ankles.

_They're fantastic._

Rhythm sappily smiled and extended his arms as he approached Dr. Wily.

"What are you doing?" The doctor asked.

The scientist was about to retreat but ceased when Rhythm grabbed hold and gave Dr. Wily a firm hug.

_Thank you._

Dr. Wily remained in silent amazement, for he had never been hugged by a robot before. Rhythm let go and began to make a beeline for Bass.

"Uh, I don't think that this is really necess..." Bass tried to say but was muted by the act of electronic kindness.

Mega Man, realizing that he was next, quickly asked Roll for a stool to place Rhythm's laptop on. The creation of Dr. Light also felt awkwardness from the hug, but Roll was the exception for she was the only one to hug back.

"This isn't going to happen every time we repair a limb, is it?" Bass nervously asked.

_I'm sorry, I just wanted to thank you like my creator once did. _

"Really? Your creator hugged you?" Mega Man asked "Most robot scientists I know rarely crack a smile when their robot is successful"

_He treated me like a son. I was not just some machinery that was expected to obey orders._

Mega Man looked at the floor, and Bass glared at Dr. Wily.

"Alright then" The scientist spoke to deflect the situation "Shall we get started on one of the arms?"

_I don't see why you four can't take a break._

"Really rhythm? Reinstallation of the legs took no more than half an hour, we can continue working" Bass spoke.

_No, I insist that you take a break. Or in the very least take it soon._

"How about we remove his arm-cannon limb and then take a break" Roll suggested "It's the more complicated to install so we should at least prep it"

The group agreed and Rhythm was placed onto the operating table and Mega Man and Bass began to remove the arm-cannon. Dr. Wily left momentarily, and returned with spare arm.

"What's that for Dr. Wily?" Roll asked

"It's a temporary arm that I give to Bass so he can still operate when I repair his own arm-cannon. I want to see if I can install it on Rhythm as a temporary limb"

_That would be nice_.

The two robots successfully removed the arm and separated the cannon from the arm itself.

"Alright then, shall we take a breather?" Mega Man asked.

"You three go ahead, I'll install the temporary arm and Rhythm and I will be with you momentarily"

The three robots left, and Dr. Wily began to install the temporary arm.

_I heard from Bass that you and Mega Man are enemies. If so, why are you two working together to repair me?_

Dr. Wily paused, for he needed to think about the answer. "For one thing, I don't exactly have the parts I need at this point in time. I usually create several robots at once, and many more smaller ones to hinder Mega Man. I often get these parts illegally, with Bass being a partner in the retrieval of the essential parts. Since Mega Man has defeated me, my supply is low"

_What would you have done if Mega Man refused to help?_

"Since he DID comply, I didn't really think of a plan B. I probably would have had Bass either steal the essential parts, or take Mega Man's sister hostage. A price to pay for your welfare"

_And if that failed?_

Dr. Wily sighed "I'd probably have to make do with what I have. Your repairs would not have been as successful if i did repairs that were on par with Duct Tape and paper clips for wire"

_I would still be glad that you made an attempt._

Dr. Wily finished installing the arm and activated it "Alright, see if that fits"

Rhythm looked at the arm and saw that it was a little shorter compared to his left one.

_It will do._

"Okay then. Take the laptop and your Walkman and see what the other three are doing. I'm going to prepare some food for myself and return with a few E-tanks"

Rhythm took his belongings, and began to locate the other three robots.


	6. Chapter 6

Mega Man, Roll, and Bass were all sitting in a rather messy living room like area, and were discussing Rhythm and his quirks. Mega Man sat with his legs stretched across a love seat, his shoulder bag laid against the back of the furniture, while Roll sat on a footstool and Bass sat in an antique styled leather chair.

"He seems nice, for one thing" Roll spoke.

"He's peculiar" Mega Man stated.

"He likes to ask questions" Bass declared "but what amazes me is that the questions are so deceivingly simple but the answer is extremely complicated to figure out"

"Maybe he's been walled up for so long that he's trying to learn about the world around him" Roll suggested.

"Then why would he ask about us rather than what has happened?" Bass wondered.

"Maybe to see if the personalities and ideas of the world have transfigured into?" Roll replied

_I just ask because I lust for knowledge and information._

The three robots turned to the doorway and saw that Rhythm was on his own legs but bore a temporary arm.

_Dr. Wily gave me your spare arm, is that okay with you Bass?_

"Not at all"

Rhythm sat down next to Mega Man, holding the laptop so that the screen could be seen by all.

_It feels great to have my legs back.  
_  
"I'm glad" Mega Man replied.

_I really can't thank you all enough for what you have done._

"Well prepare to thank us even more" Mega Man spoke as he retrieved a device from his bag. It was a tablet, the screen a bit smaller than that of the laptop's, and had an auxiliary speaker attached to it. Mega Man also procured a pair of studio headphones. "The tablet is so you don't have to lug the laptop around, and the headphones are to hear the music from the cassette tapes better"

Mega Man disconnected the laptop and handed it to Bass. He then proceeded to open a dictation application and connected the tablet to Rhythm.

-Thank you very much Mega Man.

"You are very welcome. I recently got the latest model of the tablet and I didn't want to see the device go to waste"

"What was that about not wanting to waste?" Dr. Wily asked as he held a six-pack of E-tanks and a tray of food and sat on a recliner.

"Mega Man gave Rhythm a few gifts" Bass explained as he gave the laptop to Dr. Wily "One of them consequently returning your laptop"

"Wonderful" Dr. Wily replied as he received the laptop and placed it next to his recliner. "I have more than enough E-tanks for everyone"

Dr. Wily proceeded to remove the cans from the six pack and tossed one to Bass, Mega Man, Roll, and finally Rhythm. As Dr. Wily tossed the can, Rhythm's left arm (the non-removed arm) was slow to react and hit the floor behind the love seat.

"Sorry Rhythm" Dr. Wily apologized "I didn't know that your arm would be in that bad of a condition"

_It's okay, we all make misassumptions._

Dr. Wily took another E-tank and instead placed it on the coffee table in front of Rhythm. The robot took the can and opened it with his temporary arm.

"Mega Man," Bass began "how did the talk with your father go?"

Mega Man paused sipping his E-tank, immediately realizing the fiasco that happened last night. "It went okay. Dr. Light introduced me to a animatronic designer, an industrial robot designer, and a psychiatrist"

"What did they ask you?" Dr. Wily inquired.

"They wanted my opinions on the treatment of animatronics and industrial robots. I said that there's a difference between robots such as I and the robots they described. I am capable of independent thought, the other categories aren't"

_What did the psychiatrist ask?_

"He asked a question that would be in the same grade compared to the ones you ask everyone else. He asked..." Mega Man swallowed nervously "He asked me if I have ever wanted to...to commit a crime"

The others turned to Mega Man with much curiosity.

"Dr. Light ended the discussion soon after the question was asked. It was the disconnection that amazed me more than the question, for I realized how tight my father's grip was"

_Have you at least been considering the psychiatrist's question?_

"Yes, and I've been think about your question and Bass's as well"

_Do you not speak because you feel like it's not important? Or because you fear the consequences? That is what I asked you yesterday. Have you discovered your answer?  
_  
"Yes. It feels like I fear the consequences, but even worse I feel like I'm not heard at all. That may seem strange when a robot who can speak having a discussion with a mute, but that's what I feel"

_It's not strange at all. Throughout history, people have spoken and not been heard, but those who were persistent learned to speak louder, figuratively speaking. But I'm curious about the psychiatrist's question, and that makes me think of Bass._

"Me?" Bass wondered "How come?"

_I'm curious, do you ever wish to do some sort of benevolent act? Some sort of charity or remorse for the current situation?_

"Why do you think that I am repairing you?" Bass replied.

_That is one act for one person. It would seem that the malevolent deeds you have committed have affected more that just one person. Many have received the brunt of you and Dr. Wily's force. And the same is same for Mega Man, save for the fact that he has done good for many. What good is one small deed?_

Bass thought, and smiled slyly when he thought of a reply "Are you a utilitarian?"

_No, but I understand where you are coming from. You think that I wish for the greatest happiness for the greatest number, but I'm only considering how happier you would be if you provided an act of kindness to many rather than few._

"Why do you wonder about the happiness of robots?" Roll inquired.

Rhythm sunk his head.

_My creator said that his life would end at some point. He didn't know how or why, but he knew that his death was imminent. All I know is that I was sealed up before my maker met his maker. He constantly told me that he wanted to be the best father anyone could have, but he also told me to expect his absence at any point. He wanted me as happy as I could be before he went, and I wanted to do the same for him._

Oil appeared from Rhythm's eyes as the sad facts poured out of the tablet. Roll took a napkin and cleaned Rhythm's eyes.

"I don't recall a robot crying" Dr. Wily spoke.

"Then again, I don't recall YOU crying" Bass quipped.

Dr. Wily sighed as he got up from his seat. "Let's let Rhythm calm down for a bit and go back to repairs"

The scientist left the room and Bass began to follow. Mega Man soon left and Rhythm was still sitting with Roll.

"I can understand why your memories are so precious to you. They are so strong and full of emotion, even though they're both good and bad. A robot's memory can be wiped instantly and the fact that humans can be so cruel in this regard unsettles me"

Rhythm smiled as the wiping continued.

"You're beautiful Rhythm. Anyone just look at you and think that you are just a hodgepodge of scattered parts and programming, but your heart is the most beautiful thing I've seen in a robot. Your beauty makes the fact that someone would want to dispose you more wretched"

_You're beautiful._

Roll continued to wipe Rhythm's eyes and then left to help the others repair the arm. Rhythm was left alone, but felt a enlightening euphoria pulse through his circuitry. Rhythm was about to get up from the seat when he noticed Mega Man's bag. Rhythm opened the bag, and found a book.

_"The Return of the Gadfly: Questions Upon Questions" Why would Mega Man buy a paper book rather than a digital copy?_

Rhythm opened the book and read to himself as he listened to another cassette tape.

Roll returned to the workshop to find that Bass and Mega Man were working on the cannon part of the arm and Dr. Wily worked on the other part of the arm. She approached the two enemies, and noticed that their arm cannons were open and comparing them to Rhythm's.

"What are you two doing?" Roll asked.

"We're trying to figure out what the circuitry configuration for the arm cannon is" Mega Man replied.

"What Rhythm has is a very unique system, for the circuitry is not intended for...common application" Bass answered.

"You mean that it's not for combat?" Roll asked.

"It would seem so Roll" Bass answered "We're going to make it weapon grade so that it is more effective in situations"

"What amazes me is why a robot with this technology would have the bare minimum components" Mega Man answered.

"It's not really to hard to understand" Bass replied "It would seem that whoever programmed him wanted to focus on his humanity rather than his capability. He's equipped with beta programs of Imagination, creativity, sympathy, and love"

"Love?" Mega Man asked "Why should a robot be capable of love? Robots can't create like human do, there is no need for romantic relationships, and a robot looking for another robot would not share in the relationship"

"It's beta programming, just to test the concept"

Roll just starred at the doorway to the workshop, wondering what Rhythm thinking.

"Does...does Rhythm see something in me?" Roll quietly asked herself. She then turned to the two robots. "Maybe Rhythm doesn't need the arm cannon...maybe he just needs the arm"

"I would love to agree with you Roll," Dr. Wily spoke as he approached Roll "but I think that it's best if we just fix what we have before we ask Rhythm if he wants any modifications"

Roll nodded as she joined the other two robots repairing the cannon part of the arm.

At some point, Rhythm entered the workshop and sat quietly in a chair, listened to music with the headphones that Mega Man gave him, and just watched the four silently. He eventually got up and hovered over Dr. Wily, carefully examining the steps of the scientist's craft.

"Rhythm," Dr. Wily began "after we repair you, I don't think that you should stay here. Mega Man and Dr. Light are my enemies, and I fear that authorities will have you deactivated if you are found with me. Do you understand?"

_I understand._

"Good. After we are done with your repairs, I will find a comfortable apartment for you to live in. I'm betting that Bass will want to check on you often, since he found you" Dr. Wily explained.

_I'm glad that you think that._

"What do you mean by 'I think that'? Do you think that he won't?"

_No, I'm just glad that you put your faith into your creation._

"Really? Bass does what he does. He's mainly working to satisfy his personal agenda. What that agenda is, I don't know"

_Then if he's working to satisfy his own agenda, why did he bring me here?_

The scientist stopped working for a moment in realizing the possible implications. Dr. Wily knew that Bass had turned on him before, and that meant that he could be capable of anything.

"He probably brought you here because of the impression you left on him. A silent robot that was sealed into a wall is bound to make anyone wonder"

_So you think that he was curious?_

"Who wouldn't be? Unanswered questions affect us all, and the ones with the answers that are within the realm of reach are tempting so one can claim the glory for the answer"

_Well I find satisfaction in the answers of the common person, it helps me learn about people._

"Well let me learn about you for a moment" Dr. Wily began as he stopped repairs "I wish to rule the world. I may not have defined my purpose or motive, but that is beside the point. Let's say that, for some vague reason, you rule the world. What you did to obtain this power, what the people think of you, and the condition of the world is unimportant. What I want to know is, what would you do? And, as a bonus, since you are a robot we'll make you immortal"

Rhythm stood in silence as he let the details sink in.

_To be honest, control of the world does not interest me, but would find myself in a bind. I don't want the power, but I don't want my powers being abused by the wrong person. I would be regretting my position but dutifully leading none the less._

The scientist starred at the robot dumbfounded. If this being had all the power in the world he would do nothing so that no one would truly take hold and ruin the world.

Then the scientist thought to himself. Maybe he wanted to dominate the world just so that he could sat that he did, and nothing more. He then contemplated whether he had wasted his time in his goal.

He hoped not as he continued working on Rhythm's arm.


	7. Chapter 7

The work continued throughout the day, each of the repairmen asking for input from one of the others while Rhythm did his own thing. He stopped asking questions, which the four found to be peculiar, and instead the robot just watched everyone work.

Occasionally, Rhythm would stop for a moment to change a cassette tape. He would look through the collection, pick a tape, and replace it with the one that was already in the walkman.

Rhythm's actions were almost hypnotic. The process was so simple, but Rhythm committed it with an astonishing grace.

At one point however, Bass caught a glance of Rhythm and noticed that his weak smile had turned into a well established frown. Bass turned to Mega Man and asked a question.

"Do you mind if I take a break? I think that Rhythm needs a little company"

"Go right ahead Bass, you're his friend" Mega Man replied.

Bass put his tools down and made his way over to Rhythm. "So Rhythm, would you like to take a tour?"

-I wouldn't mind.

"Then follow me"

The two left the workshop and Bass began to contemplate what to show.

"Let's see...you've seen the workshop, the living room, my chamber, you don't really need to see the bathrooms...where can I take you?"

Bass pondered, and his eyes turned to the Walkman that he found for Rhythm.

"Follow me" Bass spoke, and the two walked down the corridors of the fortress.

_Where are you taking me?  
_  
"The Scrap Room"

The humming of electricity and the metallic footsteps echoed through the halls as the two robots traversed through the corridors. They stopped at a door, and Bass carefully opened it. As the door opened, a portable radio fell to the floor. Bass picked it up and placed it onto one of the many piles of electronics.

"Here is where Dr. Wily and I store stuff that we can possibly salvage for robot parts. We've repurposed wiring, capacitors, plastics, microphones, speakers, servos, circuit boards, all sorts of parts. But we discovered that most of what we collected could never be used for our purposes" Bass picked up a game controller "Now it just lays in ruin"

_Does it serve any other purpose than gathering dust?_

"For the most part that's the only purpose" Bass spoke as he began looking for the console's controller "sometimes I just rummage through to see what I can find. Most of the time I end up opening boxes that haven't been opened. Anything that I find particularly interesting, I bring to my chamber"

_What do you do with such discoveries?_

"I tinker with them, working on little projects to kill time. And during these days, I have A LOT of time"

_A well maintained robot can have all the time in the world._

"True, but what we do with our time is what matters" Bass spoke as he threw the controller on the floor.

Rhythm began looking through the scattered electronics, hoping to find more cassette tapes. Bass began to help, and the two used old buckets to look for cassette tapes. They even found a number of CD's, so Bass searched for portable CD players so that Rhythm could listen to them as well.

The rummaging took a good half an hour, with the two robots beginning to make their way back to Bass's chamber to organize their findings. As the two progressed, Rhythm noticed a wall of pictures and stopped in front of them. Next to the wall of pictures, a hallway with four doors on each side could be seen. In each of the photos, Dr. Wily could be seen with a group of Robots, some of the robots included Dr. Light and Mega Man, and some included Bass. Rhythm looked up and read a sign that hung over the photographs.

FIGHT IN THEIR MEMORY

_What are these?_

Bass frowned "These are photo's of each of Dr. Wily's set of Robot Masters. I knew each and every one of them personally, mainly before I became the robot that I am today. Dr. Light and Dr. Wily worked together on the first set, and that is when Dr. Wily turned against the world"

_Where are these robot masters now?_

"Nothing more than a memory. These robots were threats to humanity, so Mega Man defeated them"

Bass began to walk down the hallway "The Robot Masters, at least from the second generation on, used to live here until they were sent to do Dr. Wily's bidding. After they left these rooms, they didn't return" he touched one of the doors. "They kept me company, and I treated them like siblings and they did the same for me" The robot then turned to Rhythm "I don't know who to be angry at. Mega Man for destroying the ones I held dear? or Dr. Wily for building them for a mission grounded in suicide?"

_You just happened to be part of the audience who was on the team that lost. I understand that you try to look for a central figure to blame for this misfortune, but it is just as easy to be angry at the situation. But anger and sadness will continue unless someone tries to change it._

Bass raised his head "Come one Rhythm, let's drop this stuff off and return to the workshop"

The two walked to Bass's chamber, and as they put the music on the ground, Rhythm caught sight of a pad of paper.

_Hey Bass, could I use your note pad? I would like to draw._

Bass quietly gave Rhythm the pad and some pens and the two returned to the workshop. Bass saw that Dr. Wily and Mega Man worked together on the arm cannon while Roll was on the arm.

"Hello Bass," Dr. Wily spoke "we're almost done with repairing the cannon"

"We'll probably be able to install this tomorrow" Mega Man continued.

Bass just stared at the two, reminding himself that it was the _situation_ to upset with.

Rhythm continued to listen to his cassette tapes, and was writing and drawing on the pad that Bass provided. It was during that time when Dr. Wily found himself working side by side with Mega Man, and Bass with Roll. Both pairs bore smiles when they focused on their work, but when one glanced at the other, the smile quickly turned into a frown.

"Do you still not trust me Mega Man?" Dr. Wily asked.

"I don't think that I'll be able to completely trust you" Mega Man replied.

"Same here, for you could as easily have told the authorities about my discovery and your suspicions. You don't trust me because you are smack dab into the bear's den, plus I could ruin your reputation by revealing our little project" Dr. Wily craftily brought up, but then his emotion became blank "But I bet that the reason you don't do so is the fact that you're curious"

"I told you. Dr. Light's away, there isn't any real trouble, and I'm bored"

"Oh really?" Bass asked "keep telling yourself that to keep it true. You may have originally been bored, but the mysteries of Rhythm have intrigued you and, like the rest of us, want to know the true answer"

"I agree with Bass" Roll began "You were bored, but now you're interested"

Mega Man sighed "Could we please just focus on work and whether or not I'm curious?" Just then, Mega Man received a message. He stopped working and glanced at the clock. "Great...come on Roll, we have to go"

Bass looked at the clock, it was a quarter to seven. "Why are you leaving?"

"Dr. Light wants to video chat at eight. I want to be early so he doesn't suspect anything"

Bass shrugged "Alright then, will we see you tomorrow?"

"Probably" Mega Man replied, and he began to leave the workshop. He grabbed his shoulder bag from the living room and rushed out the door with his sister. Bass and Dr. Wily were alone with the remains of the arm.

"Should we put the arm back together and test it?" Dr Wily asked.

Bass said nothing as he moved his part of the arm to Dr. Wily's table and began to connect the two components.

_How long will the testing take?_

"Since this limb involves weapon components, we have a special room for testing the operation status of said apparatuses" Bass explained "Would you like to see?"

_No thanks. I'd think that I'd use the cannon rarely anyway._

Bass shrugged as Dr. Wily took the arm to the testing room. The two robots sat in relative silence, for Rhythm was still listening to cassettes.

"What were you drawing?" Bass inquired.

Rhythm said nothing as he handed the pad to Bass. On the pad was an sketched image of Bass, standing in front of a gravestone with a bouquet of flowers in his right hand.

"That's Dr. Wily's grave, isn't it?"

_It could be anyone's. It could also happen to be a non physical being. I wanted to draw Mega Man or even myself, but your image was more ingrained in my useable memory._

"So...it's the death of what we wish was dead?"

_No,for the flowers indicate that the tombstone has inscribed on it a part of us we must remember. If I drew myself, it would be for my creator and lost memories. For Mega Man... his happiness._

"I can understand. For the repeated trials of Dr. Wily and others is a hardening experience"

Relative silence blanketed the room as the cassette tape played.

_"I've seen all good people turn their heads each day  
So satisfied, I'm on my way"_

"Rhythm, I thought about the Clockwork Orange question and I think that I have an answer"

_Well then?_

"But I thought that maybe we could talk about it while we engaged in a secondary activity. Like playing a game"

_Do you know how to play chess?_

"Chess?" Bass was surprised by the question, for electronic games had been his forte for a few years now "Well...I do know how to play chess, but I've never played against anyone else, not even with a real chessboard"

_What about the scrap room?_

Bass left momentarily, and returned with a large stack of old chess games "I had to bring a good number of them for I don't know if one particular set has all the pieces"

The two spent fifteen minutes searching for the essential pieces in the boxes. Pawns were plentiful, but finding a second white bishop proved to be a hard search (thankfully the last box had four white bishops). The two set the board, and Rhythm took two color pawns and hid them from view.

_Left or Right?_

Bass chose right, and a white pawn was revealed.

_You first_.

Bass began with the standard opening move, king's pawn moving two spaces. "When I considered the options, the answer became more clearer as one of them had a backdoor option" Rhythm then replicated Bass's move with his king's pawn.

_Oh really?_

"Yes, for while the reprogramming option guaranteed freedom" Bass spoke as he made his move"The other still had the possibility" Rhythm did the same move Queenside.

_How come?_

"I could escape from the prison"

_You would take the risk of destruction? And if you did, you would live as a fugitive for the rest of your life?_

Bass captured a piece, firmly hitting the board "Yes, for I have been living on the edge of the law for many years. A life on the run would be hard, but it wouldn't cease to be interesting"

Rhythm gently captured the piece that Bass slammed with a pawn.

_Do you fear death?  
_  
"Death? Not really, but HOW I die is what worries me" Bass captured another piece.

Rhythm captured the piece with another pawn.

_What method of death do you fear the most?  
_  
"Betrayal" Bass spoke as he made a move "The method is a moot point, the people involved is what matters. What method do you fear?"

Rhythm captured Bass's Queen with a Knight.

_Any case where I am isolated. Loneliness is one of the most fatal plagues in this contemporary era._

Bass looked at his pieces, he took the king and looked at it "Then most valuable piece does little in the scheme of things, using then others to do the dirty work. The most powerful stands next to that person," Bass spoke as he picked up his queen "doing the dirty work when the main defenses are down. The rest are charging headlong into a battle with the point only being a minor victory. I am the queen to Dr. Wily's King, the other pieces being the Robot Masters and the other obstacles"

_Is Mega Man the Queen to Dr. Light's king?_

"Yes, but those are the only two pieces on that side of the board"

_Then how do the two win? Does the side with more pieces have a bad strategy or does the King have a tight hold on the Queen?_

Bass placed the pieces down back on the board. "I retire"

_I don't mind, it wasn't whether one of us won or lost, it was transpired during the game._

The two placed the pieces back into one of the boxes and Bass thought about what Rhythm said about Mega Man and Dr. Light. How tight was Dr. Light's grip?


	8. Chapter 8

Mega Man sat in front of the computer, staring at the clock in the corner of the screen while he waited for Dr. Light to connect. The clock read 7:55, and Mega Man just supported his head with his hands.

Just then, an alert in the corner went off indicating that Dr. Light was making a connection. Mega Man pressed answer, and Dr. Light appeared on the screen.

"Hello Rock" Dr. Light spoke.

"Hello dad, is it just you tonight?"

"It's just me tonight, how are things?"

Mega Man sighed "Well I've been bored a good part of the day for one thing"

"What have you been doing?"

"Well I've been relaxing, watching Tv and movies, playing games, having fun with Roll and Rush"

"Thats good. By the way, after the meeting from last night I tried to call you. Why didn't you answer me?"

"I needed to clear my mind for a bit without distraction. I went for a walk afterwards"

"I understand, for Dr. Grey's question could cause quite the rattle to your programming"

The two were silent for a moment "Dad...why did you end the discussion so quickly?"

Dr. Light raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious, you seemed to be just as rattled as I was. Were you afraid of what the answer could entail?"

"That's not important"

"It is to me. Did you fear me possibly saying yes?"

"Well do you wish to commit some crime?"

"I've...thought about it"

"Well I suggest that you stop considering it"

"I can't, it's been rattling in my head ever since and I can't shake it"

"You do not need to know the answer"

Mega Man slammed the table "I WANT TO!"

"Listen Mega Man," Dr. Light spoke "What you are possibly engaging is is dangerous territory, in which the consequences could be quite substantial"

"Do you fear what I may become?"

"You don't need to know"

"I WANT TO KNOW! I can't shake the concept since it's been asked!"

"As your father..."

"My father? You don't treat me like your son anymore. You used to around the time when Wily first betrayed you" Mega Man came to a realization "You fear my betrayal, don't you? Well news flash DAD, I fear your betrayal as well. You have kept answers away from me for TOO LONG, and I'm going to find the answers whether you want me to or not!"

"Wait!" Dr. Wily shouted "...I know that I have kept things from you...and after all these years you have matured. I understand you wish to know more now"

"Well what are you going to do?" Mega Man asked.

"When I get back from the convention in two days, we'll talk face to face. Will that be okay?"

Mega Man slightly nodded with some anger on his face. "Okay then, but may I ask one question?"

"Sure"

"If I did turn against you, would you still be proud of the good I did before?"

Dr. Light was silent "I need time to consider that question, but may I ask you a question?"

Mega Man nodded.

"Do you wish to commit some crime? Some horrible deed or action?"

"The capacity to do wrong is a human trait. People oppresses it for the benefit of society. If I am to be like a human..." Mega Man paused "I would be able to do some malicious deed. What ever that deed may be, I do not know"

"Alright then" Dr. Light replied. "Good night Rock"

"Good Night dad"

Dr. Light ended the call and Mega Man laid back into his chair. It had been a while since he had a dispute with his creator, and he slowly realized that it stemmed from his interactions with Rhythm.

If Mega Man had not been working on the robot with Dr. Wily and Bass, answering Dr. Grey's question would have been thoughtless and would be a simple no. But Mega Man realized that Rhythm had made him think, and he also realized that it wasn't the fact that someone asked him whether he wanted to do wrong, but the fact he had to consider the answer.

Mega Man rushed to find the philosophy book, it was in the living room. "Roll, could you come here for a moment?"

Roll, along with their dog Rush, entered the living room "What is it brother?"

"Rhythm has made me ask questions and I want to find the answer. The Socratic method involves asking questions upon questions. Will you help me?"

Roll sat down and the two engaged in discussion.

Meanwhile, Bass was rummaging through the medicine cabinet in Dr. Wily's bathroom to find something to make the scientist fall asleep.

"PM cold medication, PM fever medication, PM painkillers, PM decongestant...ah ha! E-Z sleep non-perscripption sleep medication. Now I just need to find something to put this in"

Bass left the bathroom with the medicine in hand, and passed his chamber where Rhythm was doodling on the pad Bass provided. Bass made his way to the kitchen and searched for a proper delivery method.

Bass at first prepared the correct dosage, and found that the medicine was a red color. Milk would turn red, and coffee would probably counteract the desired effect. Bass looked in a cabinet, and found substantial collection of red wines.

"One of these should do" Bass told himself.

To the robot's surprise, one of the bottles had a tag on it that read "To be consumed in the celebration of my victory" Bass removed the bottle from the rack and saw that it was labeled "Delicia de Albañil: Fine Spanish Amontillado vintage 1987" Bass replaced the bottle and took out a bottle of sherry instead.

Bass was about to open the bottle but decided to check the box of the sleeping aid.

**DO NOT CONSUME WITH ALCOHOL  
**  
Bass sighed, but came up with a plan B. He would just give the wine to Dr. Wily without a glass so that he would drink it all. Bass removed the cork, and brought the bottle to Dr. Wily, who was still testing the arm cannon.

"How is testing coming?"

"I've just finished. All the components are operational and we'll be ready to install it tomorrow morning" Dr. Wily answered.

"How is the cannon's strength?"

"It's on the weak side. It can pack a punch and work on common materials, but it would take more shots to defeat a robot when compared to Mega Man defeating a Robot master" Dr. Wily then noticed what Bass bore "Is that wine?"

"Yes, I thought since that we all worked quite hard today that you deserved to indulge yourself. I don't know anything about wine so I hope I made a good decision"

"That is fine" Dr. Wily replied, and drank directly from the bottle itself like Bass hoped. The robot retired from the room and traveled to his own chamber to check on Rhythm. The robot was still drawing, pencil shavings and crumpled paper lay on the floor around where Rhythm sat. The drawing pad was on the floor, and Rhythm was now writing in a smaller book.

"What are we working on now?" Bass inquired.

_I'm writing down as much as I remember for If my memory is lost, it can be reestablished manually._

"Do you think that will work?"

_It's worth trying. I've also been writing about you, Dr. Wily, Mega Man, and Roll._

Bass cocked an eyebrow "May I take a look?"

Rhythm hid the contents against his body.

_No! I mean, I would like to keep this private. Like a journal._

"Alright then, I won't intrude on your opinions"

Rhythm smiled and closed the book. He then got into Bass's bed, inserted a new tape into his walkman, and entered sleep mode. Bass smiled as he attached a power cable and quietly exited the room and made his way outside.

Bass made his way to the workshop and quickly discovered that Dr. Wily had already consumed the wine and was still in the workshop, collapsed on the floor due to his drunken slumber. The robot then made his way outside, waiting for Proto Man.

"Nice to see you up and about" A voice spoke.

Bass turned, and saw the shaded and scarfed robot standing in the light of the full moon.

"Hello again Proto Man"

"Is Dr. Wily out?'

"Technically speaking, for he's out cold. That should give us plenty of time for you to take a short look at the robot"

The two quietly entered the fortress, and slowly entered Bass's chamber where the robot rested.

"Talk quietly. He's listening to music so he won't enter a panic state that wastes his energy"

"How come?"

"I think it's because that he has been taunted with temporary power when he was immured and his silence combined with the fact that no one could possibly detect him made him develop the condition"

"Is it repairable?"

"I doubt it, therapy in some way may help but it's unlikely that anything can be done"

"Who made him?"

"We don't know, but we are almost certain that a robot created him"

"What indicated such a hypothesis?"

"When we took a look at his hard drive, we found an engraving on it that read 'The Prometheus's Prometheus'. A human making a robot would be making a Prometheus, so the creation of a Prometheus like rhythm would indicate that a robot made him"

Proto Man saw that Rhythm was attached to a tablet and began to read the dialogue.

_"Come with me, I would like to talk with you while I get myself a treat"_

_Downstairs? Are you sure?_

_"What I desire is best kept in cool, dark places"_

_I really should get back to my father, my energy is running low._

_"You should have enough to come with me and return"_

_It's quite unnerving down here._

_"A robot with fear? Come now, let's not be foolish"_

_I feel weak..._

_"Then you must rest"_

_What are you doing? Why are you remov-ing my arm?_

_"I need to repair something"_

_S-top that, it's un-ple-sant!_

_"SHUT UP!"_

_-ERROR_VOICE_BOX_NEEDS_REPAIR_

_-I can't talk!_

_"It's for the good of everyone"_

_-L-et me out o-f here. Don'-t clos-e me in._

_"That should take care of you"_

_-I c-an't s-ee any-thin-g. Some-one he-_

_"My heart grew sick; it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so. I hastened to make an end of my labour. I forced the last stone into its position; I plastered it up. Against the new masonry I re-erected the old rampart of bones. For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them"  
_  
"What is he thinking?" Proto Man asked.

"He's probably having a dream, combined with the fractured memories of his past" Bass answered.

"Dreams?" Proto Man looked at Rhythm's face "has he had any pleasant ones? For I fear if he had only nightmares"

"He has memories of him and his creator, who he affectionately calls his father"

Proto Man looked at his feet "Dr. Light. I left him because I feared that he would change me, I hope that who ever made this robot wanted him to be himself and nothing else"

"I hope so" Bass answered "By the by, what brought you here?"

"Curiosity of the situational climate. If you and Dr. Wily were planning another...shall we say attempt?...I would have not revealed myself. But since I know that nothing is truly planned, I am to find Mega Man"

"Well don't do it tonight at least, Mega Man left due to Dr. Light calling him"

Proto Man dragged Bass out of the room "Mega Man has been working with you?"

Bass looked at the floor "Dr. Wily was the one who called him. He needed the parts to repair Rhythm"

"Does Dr. Light know?"

Bass shook his head "I wouldn't think that Mega Man would reveal that he was collaborating with 'the enemy'. The secret is safe"

Proto Man sighed in relief "Thank goodness...I think I should go"

"Alright then. Mega Man is to return here tomorrow, so I would wait until we are done working tomorrow before approaching him"

Proto Man smiled, and left the fortress quietly. Bass reentered the chamber, and looked at Rhythm's thoughts.

_"Rhythm. What's the matter?"_

_I want to get out of here, and soon._

_"I understand. Just wait a few days and we'll be able to go to the convention at The Modern Mansion"_

Bass quickly looked for a pen and paper, and began scribbling the details of Rhythm's dream.

_You won't showcase me, will you?_

_"No, you will be my son and nothing more"_


	9. Chapter 9

Bass woke to find himself on the floor, laid down, face first, with a sheet of paper in one hand and a pen in the other. Bass quickly woke up and began to read what he wrote.

ObsErvati0ns:  
-Was taken to Modern Mansion for some convention  
-Lured downstairs when weak on power  
-Experienced Sabotage  
-Treated like a son by creator  
-Not exhibited at the convention

The rest had become unreadable scribbles.

Bass the discovered that it was around eight o'clock in the morning. The robot discovered that Rhythm had already gotten up and gone off somewhere.

Bass began making his way to the workshop and in transit discovered that Mega Man had already arrived and he had an E-tank in his hand and satchel on his shoulder.

"Hello there Bass" the robot spoke as he gave Bass the drink.

Bass quickly consumed the contents and threw container away "Did I miss anything?"

"Nope, the three of us were just waiting for you to wake up"

The two traveled to the workshop where Roll was conversing with Rhythm and Dr. Wily was removing Rhythm's arm.

"Hello boys, are we ready to repair?" Dr. Wily asked.

The four immediately got to work and began reattaching Rhythm's arm.

"No break after were done with this. We need to check on the head and the other arm today" Dr. Wily explained.

_My...my head?_

"Are we sure that's safe?" Bass inquired "If we remove the head, he can't hear anything. If he can't hear anything he'll panic!"

"Don't worry, I've got a solution" Dr. Wily spoke as he momentarily walked away.

"What's he getting?" Mega Man inquired.

The solution turned out to be a Met with it's feet removed and wires jutting out from the bottom.

The robots just stared at the doctor dumfounded.

"That's going to be his temporary head?" Roll asked.

"Unless any of you want to give up your own?" Dr. Wily suggested.

_It's fine, just make the attachment quick._

"Lets just finish installing your arm first"

Dr. Wily and Bass connected the arm and when the installation was complete he got up and tried his new arm.

"How does it feel?" Mega Man inquired.

_It feels wonderful._

Rhythm's smile turned into an expression of concern as he remembered that the next piece to be worked on was his head.

_Do you have to take my head off?_

Mega Man placed his hand on Rhythm's shoulder "We have to if we want to repair it. Don't worry, we'll attach the temporary one quickly"

Rhythm sighed as he laid down on the table and closed his eyes.

"Okay," Dr. Wily began "Once the head loses all contact with the system, the sensory programming will be shut down and make the electronic brain experience silence. I am afraid that if he experiences silence, his system won't charge even if auxiliary power is connected. We have to do this quickly and carefully"

The four repairers prepared their tools for instant operation. The scientist slowly removed the head from the torso and the many wires that attached to the rest of the robot were exposed.

"I'll need the wire strippers, electrical tape, and the Met on standby" The scientist spoke as he put on gloves to prevent electric shock. Mega Man held the stripper, Bass held the tape, and Roll held the head while she read the tablet tension rose as Dr. Wily cut the connections from the less necessary connections, like facial movement and sight. Dr. Wily then put on some white noise.

"Rhythm, can you hear me still?"

_Yes_

"Okay, there are two sets of wires left. I'm going to cut the sound sensors first, this will result in you entering into your distress mode. I will then disconnect the power from your head entirely. We can see your mental status on the tablet so don't think that we can't hear you because you can't hear us. When we restore your power, we many need a breather so when you come back you will hear the white noise. Understand?

_I understand._

"Okay, you will hear us in a little bit"

Dr. Wily cut the wires and the tablet began to relay text.

_Please be quick, I don't want to power down!  
_  
-CHARGE_90%

"Cutting the power to the head"

-CHARGE_82%

_I can do this...I can do this._

"Mega Man, the wire strippers!"

"Here you are" Mega Man replied

-CHARGE_71%

"It's draining fast!" Roll exclaimed "The voltage throughout his body is insanely high!"

"That's why I wore the gloves" Dr. Wily replied.

-CHARGE_63%

"Okay, I got the wires stripped. I need the tape and the head"

Bass gave the scientist the tape and began to connect the power cables to the head.

-CHARGE_49%

"What's taking so long!?" Bass shouted.

"YOU TRY CONNECTING WIRES WITH GLOVES ON!"

-CHARGE_31%

_IcandothisIcandothisIcandothis_

"I got the power cables connected. Now I'm doing the sound sensor connection" Dr. Wily spoke.

-CHARGE_25%

"Hurry up!" Bass shouted.

"We're running out of power!" Mega Man exclaimed.

"SHIT! THE FIRST CABLE CAME UNDONE!"

-CHARGE_14%_LOW_POWER.

_ICANDOTHISICANDOTHISICANDOTHISICANDOTHISICANDOTHIS_

"Rhythm's tablet is exploding with text!" Roll screamed.

"LIKE THAT'S IMPORTANT NOW!?" Mega Man roared

-CHARGE_5%_LOW_POWER.  
-WARNING:RAPID_POWER_DECREASE_MAY_RESULT_IN_MEMORY_WIPE

"IF YOU ERASE MY BROTHER'S MEMORIES I WILL KILL YOU WILY!" Bass yelled.

"I GOT IT!" Dr. Wily exclaimed "IT'S CONNECTED!"

-CHARGE_1%  
-CHARGING_POWER

_I...I did it..._

Dr. Wily collapsed in the floor in relief after completing the final connection. Mega Man and Roll stared at Bass as the son of Wily realized what he said.

"Your...brother?" Roll asked.

"Roll, you reconnect the other wires" Mega Man began "I need to talk with Bass"

Mega Man and Bass left the workshop as Roll began connecting the wires. Mega Man wore a stern expression while Bass was worried as the two made their way to the living room.

"Bass..." Mega Man began "What you just said...I know it isn't true that he's your brother, but do you treat him as one?"

Bass sighed "Mega Man, when it has come to my previous siblings my time with them has been brief. I know them for a fleeting period and circumstance comes and they are...you know"

Mega Man looked at the ground "I know. But this robot, you've rescued him and now you treat him as if he were your own. Why is that?"

Bass raised Mega Man's head "I don't want him to leave me. He's opened my eyes, he's talked with me, we've shared things. I've found him and he's become my responsibility. I want a sibling to care for, like you with Roll. He lost his creator, so he's the only one to carry out his maker's legacy. I doubt that after we're done mending him that he'll be ready to live on his own"

"And YOU want to take care of him?"

"It would be a break from the monotony, and you would know all about that!"

Bass sat down on one of the couches and Mega Man did the same.

"It's a freaking Romeo &amp; Juliet situation right here. Two people who despise each other because their parents hate each other"

"If it weren't for Rhythm, I'd bet that one of us would be nothing but scrap metal"

Bass left for a moment and returned with a pair of E-tanks.

"I just want to know what Dr. Light is going to do once he finds out" Bass asked.

"What do you mean? Can't we say that Dr. Wily made a brother for you?"

"You gave us Dr. Light's parts! If you say that you worked on an independent project with no results and that I got a brother, he'll be able to put two and two together!"

Mega Man sighed "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it"

Bass took a sip of his E-tank and turned to Mega Man.

"I must ask you. Would you commit a crime?"

Mega Man smiled "This adventure into rebellion is enough for me...for now at least"


	10. Chapter 10

"How are you feeling Rhythm?" Roll asked.

_I feel...hyper. I feel like I'm experiencing the rush one has after riding a roller coaster.  
_  
Roll was attaching wires to the Met as she conversed with Rhythm and as Dr. Wily laid on the floor.

"Have you ever been on a roller coaster?"

_It's strange...I remember that, but not where, when, and with who._

Roll smiled "You're a peculiar robot"

_Am I? Well thank you kindly._

"No need to thank me"

_I must. For individuality is one of the most important aspects of humanity. I understand if identical robots are made in the masses, but I'm glad that I am myself and no one else._

"Proto Man would love to meet you"

_Proto Man? Who is he?_

"He's this robot that is a good friend of Mega Man's. Brother has been looking for him recently, I don't know why though"

_Well when he does find Proto Man, please direct him to me._

"I will" Roll answered as she finished connecting the wires to the optical sensors. Rhythm's eyes opened and started glancing around.

_Well aren't you a sight for lost eyes. You blonde hair flows in the air and your eyes are just like a pair of radiant sapphires._

Roll was touched by these remarks, she felt a strange inflection in her programming.

"Rhythm?" Roll cautiously "do you...love me?"

Rhythm tilted his head.

_I believe so. Your happiness makes me happy, and your personality is one of a giving heart, and your appearance is one of much desire._

Roll just stared at Rhythm, she didn't know how to reply. She tried to remember stuff from the romantic comedies she once watched. "Do you...what's the term...go on a date with me?"

_I wouldn't mind it, but in my condition, I can't see it happening._

"Maybe when you have your head on your shoulders"

Dr. Wily slowly overcame his exhaustion and crawled into his office chair. When he saw the operational Met on Rhythm's head, he was taken by surprised in the silly appearance.

"Wow...you look goofy"

_It's a choice by limitation, not design. Now wasn't there something less vital that needed to be fixed?_

"Ah yes, your other arm. I'll get to work on removing it and replacing it with a spare"

_Thanks, but before you do that could you get me the walkman?_

Dr. Wily grabbed the cassette player and a random tape and Rhythm prepared the music.

_"I see the bad moon arising  
I see trouble on the way  
I see earthquakes and lightnin'  
I see those bad times today"_

It was when Dr. Wily had finished installing the temporary arm that Mega Man and Bass reentered the workshop.

"Well, well, well" Dr. Wily snidely began "Where were you two?"

Bass was hesitant to reveal what he said to the other two, but Mega Man quickly intervened.

"Well considering that you practically passed out. We considered taking a break as well, considering how emotions flared during the process" Mega Man then turned to Bsas "Right Bass?"

Bass turned to Mega Man in confusion, but found himself doing the "liar's nod"

Dr. Wily shrugged as he directed the two robots to the parts to be repaired. "We have a standard arm and Rhythm's head to work on now"

"If the transplant was anything of an indicator, the head will be more complex" Bass noted.

"It's extremely complex, considering that we have to dismantle the whole damn thing" Dr. Wily explained "I want one of you to work on the head with me, so that means the other is going to work on the arm"

"I'll work on the head with you" Mega Man quickly offered, pushing Bass out of the way.

Dr. Wily glared at Mega Man "Do you still not trust me?"

"To be perfectly honest...I am still a LITTLE cautious...but I'm curious about the components"

Bass rolled his eyes as he knew that even after the numerous talks and discussions that Mega Man was STILL suspicious.

Mega Man couldn't be blamed though. Besides, Mega Man had more experience in robot repair compared to Bass.

"I'll get to work on Rhythm's arm then" Bass spoke.

As Roll finish connecting Rhythm's temporary head, Mega Man and Dr. Wily worked on the original head, and Bass worked on the arm. Rhythm would just still around, observing the processes of the others.

Bass would sometimes look over the list of observations that Rhythm had been thinking of, and as he was replacing the servos in the fingers he decided to ask Dr. Wily about some details involving the Modern Mansion.

"Dr. Wily" Bass began "I discovered Rhythm at the abandoned Modern Mansion and i have a few questions about the facility"

"Alright then, what do you want to know?"

"What was it's purpose, for one thing"

Dr. Wily drank a sip of water as he prepared to speak.

"The Modern Mansion was built by a man named Vanderbilt Catskill, a forerunner in the re-emerging of futuristic city planning. The Modern Mansion was supposed to be a building that could either be a standalone residence, or part of a concept that Mr. Catskill called a Manorplex in which multiple prefabricated mansion layouts were incorporated into one building and meant for bustling metropolises. Many ceremonies and events transpired during its life time. International Festivals, Political Debates, conventions of all kinds were all held at the fascinating facility"  
_  
Why did the concept not take off?_

"The mighty elite loved the idea, but with the introduction of new industrial robots and the increase of lower class citizens city planners turned to Mr. Catskill to design inexpensive, safe, and comfortable apartment buildings for the lower classes. This resulted in the return of the middle class as workers who were first replaced these robots worked in collaboration as more intelligent robot technologies, much like the ones behind the Robot Masters and Mega Man, and the groups began to learn from each other for industrial and social progress. Sadly, like Walt Disney's Epcot, the original potential of the Modern Mansion was never realized as the original plots for the Manorplexes became the location of the new inexpensive apartments. The Modern Mansion was left to decay when these new apartments started to be constructed"

"When it came to these conferences, did you ever go to any of them?" Bass asked.

"I went to a few political events once. I never went to any of the invention showcases, but Dr. Light might have...I dunno"

Rhythm's tablet expressed curiosity.

_Why are you curious about the Modern Mansion?  
_  
Bass turned to Rhythm "I'm curious about who may have put you in that alcove"

"Are you teasing Rhythm?" Mega Man retorted "He can't remember parts of his past!"

Bass glanced at Rhythm "His dreams are possibly the answer. Last night he had a dream about his immurement, right Rhythm?"

"Bass, don't put Rhythm on the spot..." Roll pleaded

_It's okay, because I remember._

"YOU DO?" Mega Man inquired "What did the person look like?"

_It's not like that Mega Man. I only remember the dialogue. What I saw nor the voices I heard were not presented to me. I only remember what was spoken._

"At least it's something" Bass stated. "I also recall something else from your dreams"

_Really? What is it?_

"After the memory of the immurement" Bass explained "you proceeded with a memory of you and your creator. This memory indicated that your maker took you to one of the conventions at the Modern Mansion"

"So you're saying that if Rhythm was with his creator at the Modern Mansion at one of the conventions, there must have been someone who saw the two together" Mega Man realized.

"Yes" Bass replied "which leads to one other thing..."

"and that is?" Dr. Wily inquired.

"We'll have to tell Dr. Light" Bass spoke with a heavy sigh "Let's face it, we have used his parts, we repaired a mysterious robot that he'll inevitably find out about, and he may be the only one who we can ask about Rhythm...IF he knows anything"

Mega Man nervously glanced at Roll and then turned to Dr. Wily. "Are we CERTAIN that we must do this?"

"Do you want to live in doubt?" Dr. Wily replied.

Mega Man hung his head. "It's just that...I don't know how well it will go down...when Dr. Light called last night...things got a little tense"

"Well...does Rhythm wish to know?"

Everyone turned to Rhythm. The silent robot was pressured, but answered quickly.

_I want to know._

Mega Man sighed "Alright then. When I get home, I'll break the news to Dr. Light"

As the group continued to repair Rhythm's components, everyone felt uneasy. Rhythm tried to keep the other's mind off of things by engaging in conversation. At one point, Roll went off to help Mega Man and Dr. Wily and was alone with Bass. Rhythm took the time to talk.

_Bass, can I ask you something?_

"Is it some deeply philosophical question that I need to carefully consider before I answer the question?"

_If you consider name pronunciation a matter of deep philosophical importance._

"You want know about how my name is pronounced?"

_And it's origins if you care to share._

"Well my name comes from an energy source called Bassnium. I'm powered by such energy. Dr. Wily discovered it and shortened the energy name to give me the name I currently have"

_Is it pronounced like the fish or the instrument?_

"I would like to say the instrument. You see, Dr. Wily created me to be a robot much like that of Mega Man. The doctor also created Treble, a wolf like robot to compare to Mega Man's companion named Rush"

_Where's Treble?_

"I've been upgrading him for the last few months"

_Its funny._

"What is?"

_I've heard Mega Man be called Rock and his sister is Roll. Your name is Bass and you have a companion named Treble. Rock &amp; Roll, Bass &amp; Treble. I sense a music theme going on. Even with me. I'm Rhythm and have no other to compare myself with._

"Well...maybe because Rhythm is the necessary support to all music"

Rhythm smiled as Roll returned to help work on the arm.

"Life is about rhythm" Bass spoke "We vibrate, our hearts are pumping blood, we are a rhythm machine, that's what we are"


	11. Chapter 11

The hours passed, repairing proceeded near completion, and the music from Rhythm's Walkman could often be faintly heard in the background.

Then at one point, Rhythm left the room and returned with the containers of Cassette Tapes and CDs that he had located with Bass earlier. He dumped the two containers on the floor of the workshop, sat on the floor, and sorted the CDs from the Tapes. He then started sorting the tapes in alphabetical order by artist.

"What are you doing?" Dr. Wily asked.

_I appreciate all the help you have done for me, like discovering me, and repairing my components but I still feel walled up. I understand that my philosophical discussion interrupts your work, so I need something to pass the time._

"So sorting through cassette tapes and CDs ISN'T a boring task?"

Rhythm glared at Dr. Wily.

_After being hidden behind a wall with nothing to do for so many years, ANYTHING seems interesting to do. Heck, I'd help you repair myself if I wasn't already being worked on._

"You know how to repair robots?" Dr. Wily replied in amazement.

_I know a good amount of the trade. Problem is that I can't repair myself, especially due to the fact that I am so broken._

Dr. Wily shrugged as Rhythm proceeded to sort the music. Mega Man saw that Rhythm was taking so much care into the music and walked over to Bass to ask him why.

"I don't know" Bass replied "he may be trying to preserve other part of history since his own history is so shattered"

"Or maybe he's planing on working on his own music as well"

Bass's eyes widened "Music? Along with drawing, and writing he's bound becoming a freaking Renaissance Man. One with many skills and any number of possibilities of what he may achieve"

At the end of Bass's statement, Mega Man dropped his tool.

"Achievement" Mega Man weakly spoke.

"Did I say something?" Bass asked.

Mega Man said nothing as he walked over to Rhythm "Rhythm, I want to ask you something. Specifically about you"

_Okay then...what is it?_

"After we repair you, what do you want to do with your life? What is your ultimate goal?"

_I don't really have any primary one, but I have plenty of things that I want to do. I want to make art for an exhibition, I want to write novels, I want to perform music, I want to help the world in some way, I want to find a special someone._

_I want to do different things for the rest of my life. I can't settle myself with one goal._

Mega Man collapsed into Rhythm's lap.

"I envy you. You weren't made for a purpose. You think for yourself. What I do is determined by others" Mega Man incited Dr. Wily. "My goal...is to defeat them once and for all. And after that" the robot shrugged "I might as well be deactivated. I've got nothing planned, but I bet Dr. Light does. To go back to being a lab assistant and or being carted around for multiple ceremonies where I'm the attraction and he's the ringmaster. And lets say that, for some miraculous reason, Dr. Wily takes over the world. For one thing, what the hell is he going to do with it?"

Mega Man turned to Dr. Wily "How old are you? In your seventies or something? If you were to defeat me right now you'd probably have twenty, maybe thirty, years to reign supreme? And you'd have to deal with politics and underground rebellion groups, I wouldn't be surprised if you immediately had a heart attack after you won!"

Mega Man then turned to Bass "And you! You wi..."

"I KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING!" Bass shouted "I want to be the strongest robot, the very best, the ultimate, unbeatable, like no one ever was. But to keep that, I must fight new robots. There are either two outcomes, I live forever as I constantly beat the cognitive circuits out of each new challenger, or I get destroyed and become a footnote in the history of great robots. Is that accurate?"

Mega Man nodded "Yes. In a nutshell"

Rhythm patted Mega Man's head and grabbed a tape. He put it in his walkman and turned the headphones up so everyone can hear.

_"This is the world we live in  
And these are the names we're given  
Stand up and let's start showing  
Just where our lives are going to"_

_We're all capable of change. We just need a place to start._

Mega Man raised his head "I'm going to start now. I'm going to start with..."

Mega looked at the time. It was a quarter to eight.

"I'm gonna start with telling Dr. Light. Roll and I gotta go"

Mega Man got up and gathered their belongings and left Rhythm, Bass, and Rhythm in a state of stunned silence.

"Rock" Roll began as they made their way out the door "You didn't mention me when you went on your little tirade"

Mega Man turned to his sister "I couldn't think of any cruelty that you were involved in. Be thankful for that"

Back in the workshop. Rhythm pressed stop on his cassette player and got up off the floor.

_Maybe...maybe I should have stayed in the wall. Just a component of a decaying past that if return would cause too much of a change in the status quo. I shouldn't go changing people if the circumstances are like this._

"You should continue. We all need our smacks in the head and yours is painful but still leaves an important scar"

"The sand castle virtues are all swept away, in the tidal destruction, the moral melee, the elastic retreat rings the close of play, as the last wave uncovers the newfangled way" Dr. Wily recited "You are that last wave Rhythm. It may have ruined what existed, but something stronger can be built"

Rhythm smiled.

"Now. Maybe we can complete your arm and install it" Dr Wily explained. The scientist acquired his laptop to test the arm and Bass began the finishing touches. Rhythm intently watched as he listened to another cassette tape.

Meanwhile, Mega Man was writing down a rough script to follow when he broke the news about his project with Dr. Wily. He struggled as he practiced.

"Uh, dad. I've got something to tell you...no that won't work. I need to tell you something?...that's not it. Would you be really upset if during the past few days you were gone I was working on a starnge robot that Dr. Wily and Bass found?"

"You're not seriously considering to begin with that?" Roll asked as she presented Mega Man with an E-Tank.

"It's blunt, for one thing"

"Blunt object cause more pain than a sharpened one...at least for a human..." Roll quipped "Why don't you ask about the Modern Mansion and improvise from there?"

"Okay. It's worth a try"

Mega Man waited patiently for Dr. Light to contact him, vibrating due to the worry of the possible immediate response. The call was made, Mega Man answered, and Dr. Light appeared on the screen.

"Hello son"

"Hi dad. How are things in New York?"

"Painstaking. Some people debated whether robots should be capable of love or not. Some radicals against the idea say that it will make them assault humans due to confusion"

"What do you think?"

"I find it to be unnecessary. Robots can't procreate, simple as that"

Mega Man took a deep breath as he began to break the news.

"Dad, have you ever been to the Modern Mansion facility?"

"The Modern Mansion? I've been there a few times when it was still in operation"

"Really? How long ago was that?"

"Sometime before you were constructed. Why do you ask?"

"It's because...well...to be frank, Dr. Wily called me"

Dr. Light cocked and eyebrow "Why did he call you?"

"He told me that Bass had found a damaged robot at the abandoned facility and he needed parts to repair it"

"What did you do?"

"I...I was suspicious at first, but I found myself going to Wily's fortress, with Roll, and it turned out he was telling the truth"

"You didn't just give him the parts did you?"

Mega Man saw the opportunity to white lie "I gave him the parts, but I insisted that I help in the repair so that he didn't do anything with the robot that would be a threat to anyone"

"Did the robot have a name?"

"His memory was partly corrupted, but he knew that his name was Rhythm"

"Where exactly in the Mansion was he found?"

"Bass told me that he was immured behind a wall. He was able to escape because lightning struck the abandoned facility to give him energy"

Dr. Light remained silent while Mega Man was unnerved.

"When did Bass find the robot?"

"Some time after you left for New York"

"No one else knows about this robot?"

"Just me, Roll, Dr. Wily, and Bass"

"Okay" Dr. Light bluntly replied. Mega Man gritted his teeth as he prepared for a tirade.

"Mega Man," Dr. Light began "I'm upset that you didn't tell me immediately, but I'm glad of the precautions that you took. I want to see this robot before he is completely repaired. I'll probably travel to Wily's once I arrive tomorrow evening"

"Complete repair is almost impossible" Mega Man explained "he wastes power when he is in silence and his memories are partially lost"

"Okay then. I'll see you tomorrow evening. Good night"

"Night father" Mega Man closed the call and let out a HUGE sigh of relief and had a wide smile.

"Rock?" Roll asked "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just drunk on relief"

Roll shrugged as she left her brother to cool down his circuitry.


	12. Chapter 12

"Okay then, how does it feel?"

_It feels better than ever!_

Bass and Dr. Wily had just finished reinstalling Rhythm's arm and was testing it in the workshop. He picked up a wrench, and began to toss from hand to hand.

"Can you juggle?" Bass asked as he threw two more wrenches at the robot. Rhythm just grabbed the tools as they flew through the air and placed them on a nearby table.

_I'm not the _active_kind of person. My strength come from my intellect._

"If that's the case, why did your creator give you an arm cannon?" Dr. Wily asked.

_I don't know, I can't see myself using it anytime soon._

"Well what good is an opinion when people with a different opinion have big sticks?" Bass replied.

_It's for defense then, or maybe scare tactics so one doesn't attack at all._

"You have a good point there" Bass spoke as he stepped forward, accidentally knocking over Rhythm's carefully organized cassette tapes. "SHIT!" the robot exclaimed.

"I really don't think it's a good idea to leave this stuff here" Dr. Wily spoke "Maybe you should take this to Bass's chamber"

_Actually, I still have a lot of organizing to do. Could we maybe work on this in the living room?_

"I don't see why not" Dr. Wily replied as he grabbed a group of tapes.

The three began transporting the music into the Living Room, with Bass going to the scrap room to find containers of the right size to fit the cassette and CD cases. Bass also found a working boom box and used it to play some music in the background as the group sorted, in turn using Rhythm's Walkman to test the tapes.

"Rhythm" Dr. Wily began "You've been listening to these cassette tapes day in and day out. What is your favorite?"

_Well to be perfectly honest, I don't have a favorite. I have favorites, but whether I want to listen to them depends on what I'm in the mood for. Jazz, Rock, Musical, Pop, I have favorites in all of them._

"Do you get any satisfaction from any particular genre?" Bass wondered.

_Rock and Roll is a favorite. The range of emotion and variety that is enveloped in the whole genre. Loud, soft, slow, fast, acoustic, electric, there is so much to choose from. The variety satisfies me. What satisfies you?_

Bass smiled "You do. I want to be there for you. Helping you makes me glad. I don't know why, but I would never want to see anything happen to you. Your pain would cause me pain"

_Almost like a brother?_

"Yes, and none of that pushed to the side-ignored-special case kind of situation. I would want you by my side, you giving me insight and company and me giving you protection and conversation"

"Sheesh Bass!" Dr. Wily exclaimed "If you wanted a brother you could have just asked!"

Bass evilly smiled "It never occurred to me until I found Rhythm"

Dr. Wily sighed as he looked at the label of a cassette. "Who's Next"

_I don't know, you're the one holding the cassette tape._

"That's _The Who_" Bass explained "Give it to me, the Ws are over here" Bass then picked up another tape "_The Band_"

_I know that a band made the album, but which band in particular?_

"I have the Bs over here" Dr. Wily explained "What do you have?"

_Peter Gabriel.  
_  
"Which one?"

Rhythm removed the cassette from the boom box and placed the Peter Gabriel tape in and pressed play.

_"Jeux Sans Frontières  
Jeux Sans Frontières"  
_  
"_Games Without Frontiers_" Dr. Wily spoke "It's title came from a series of interesting athletic events mean to improve relations between France and Germany who fought each other during the World Wars"

"To be perfectly frank," Bass began "I feel like repairing Rhythm with the help of Mega Man and Roll has improved our relations with them"

"I just hope that Dr. Light would be able to do the same"

The three kept sorting tapes and eventually Dr. Wily became too tired to continue. The scientist went to his bedroom and the two robots made their way to Bass's chamber.

Rain had began to fall, and lightning struck the fortress. The lights flickered with each strike but Rhythm enjoyed the noise.

_At least I don't need to listen to the cassette tapes tonight._

Rhythm sat on the bed and Bass did as well.

"Rhythm," Bass began "I must admit, there is a charm to your silence"

_What?_

"I...I don't mean it in a bad way...it's just that there people who say so much and nothing at all at the same time"

_Politicians?_

"Exactly. Now get some rest"

Rhythm got into the bed and Bass made his way outside into the pouring rain.

"They say that humans catch disease this way"

"Hello there Proto Man" Bass mumbled.

"Whats the matter?"

"Nothing...I just wanted a night to myself"

"Well I'll be brief" Proto Man began "Dr. Light is to return tomorrow...and I want to talk with him"

Bass was taken by surprise by this statement "Wh..why? How come? For what reason?"

"I can't see myself wandering anymore, it seems to serve no purpose"

"You're joking..." Bass replied with a gaping mouth "you are the most independent robot I know and you're going to stop? Why?"

"I've been looking for an answer in which the question is a mystery. If I stop, I'll have no need to chase something that probably doesn't exist"

"But what if that answer does exist?" Bass replied "What if ending this ceases the possibility of finding the answer?"

Proto Man shrugged "It dosen't matter anymore"

"For goodness sake!" Bass shouted as he face palmed "Everyone around me seems to be enlightened and you're going BACKWARDS!"

"Says the son of one who will not stop trying!" Proto Man retorted "Face it Bass, sometimes we need to stop"

"There's a difference between your search and Dr. Wily's goals. Dr. Wily's goals are material, your goal is philosophical"

"At least his goals are achievable"

"What's to say that your goal isn't?"

"I'M JUST TIRED OF THE DEAD ENDS OKAY!" Proto Man shouted.

Bass retreated a few steps backwards "I understand...It's just that you will only lose when you give up. Dr. Wily loses because 'others' get in the way. The only person in your way...is yourself"

Proto Man said nothing as he turned around and began to walk away.

"Proto...wait..."

"Good bye Bass" the robot spoke as he vanished into the night.

Bass let out a heavy sigh, he knew that Proto Man didn't know how good he had it for all these years. Bass then reentered the building and returned to his chamber where Rhythm slept. Bass picked up Rhythm's tablet and began to read.

_Dad  
_  
_"What is it?"  
_  
_I would like you to meet some one.  
_  
_"Who is it?"_

_It's the man who found me hidden behind the wall._

_"Hello there sir"_

_"..."_

_Is there a problem dad?_

_"No"_

_He's not a bad robot._

_"I understand that, but I just don't want you to leave me Rhythm. You are the only one I have"_

_"I'm sorry sir, but we both share that aspect as well"_

_"I apologize for your circumstances, but he is mine and mine alone"_

_But there is another one. A girl._

_"Hello there sir"_

_"No, neither of you can have him!"  
_  
_But dad, he's a good friend and I love her._

_"Please sir, we'll take good care of him"_

_"I'll be able to learn to love"_

_Dad. I will always remember you, but I have to form some new memories._

Bass put the tablet away and sighed. Rhythm was the greatest thing that could ever happen to him, but it caused so much change that the others weren't ready to bear.


	13. Chapter 13

Bass slept restlessly as he tried to get into a comfortable position, but as he squirmed he fell of the bed and awoke.

Bass looked around saw himself in a prison cell like room. A small bed, a toilet and sink, a chair and table all of a pale color were visible. The walls were a pale grey and the ceiling and floor were fluorescent lights to illuminate the windowless chamber.

A wall of bulletproof glass and iron bars with a door prevented his exit. Holes were in the top and bottom of the glass so that the sounds of music could be heard as footsteps approached.

Then Bass saw him.

Rhythm.

Fully repaired, no iPad or laptop connected to the robots torso but still holding a cassette player. Completely clean and gleaming in the light.

"What is this place?" Bass asked.

In the voice of a child, Rhythm spoke.

"Conformity. This is where people entrap themselves when people do not want to change. The prison ascetic keeps them in but they never realize the truth"

Bass looked at the door. It had a lock, and it looked like the deadbolt was firmly locked. The robot pushed on the door, and it quietly slid open.

"It usually hurts those who try to leave" Rhythm explained "the aspect of change being too painful keeps them in"

The footsteps of another were heard, both robots turned their head and Bass saw another familiar face.

"Proto Man!" Bass exclaimed "What are you doing?"

Proto Man said nothing as he entered the jail cell that Bass had been in. Bass tried to open the door but it refused to open.

"Why can't I open it?"

"It's the choice of the occupant whether he wants to leave" Rhythm explained.

Bass then turned to Rhythm "Where's Dr. Wily? And Mega Man, and Roll?"

A scream was heard. The two robots turned to see the location of the yelling.

Mega Man, Roll, and Dr. Wily were all trying to push the doors of their jail cells open, but with each push came a oil-curdling scream.

"Will they get out?" Bass asked.

_"I've been helping them, and so have you"_

Rhythm's mouth ceased to move as he spoke.

"Rhythm, what's happening?"

Rhythm's damage began to show.

_Bass. This has all been a dream._

"I...I dreamed?"

_I must have changed you in some way, now you must change the rest._

An iPad materialized in Rhythm's hands.

-Stop the monotony.

Bass's eyes opened and found himself back in his chamber. It had become daylight and the rain that began last night continued into the morning. The slumbering robot turned to see that Rhythm was still sleeping soundly, the eyes of his temporary head calmly closed.

Bass made his way to Dr. Wily's bedroom and saw that the scientist was silently sawing logs. The robot sat on a chair that happened to be in the corner and watched his father.

About half an hour passed, and Dr. Wily eventually awoke. When the scientist noticed that Bass was monitoring him, he shouted and fell of the bed.

"BASS! What the hell are you doing?"

"Nothing. I woke up early and I was just waiting for you to wake up"

Dr. Wily sighed "Don't do that again!"

"What's the matter, do you not trust me?"

Dr. Wily smiled "More than Mega Man at least"

_Heheheh_

Rhythm stood at the doorway, the Met being used for his head created a surreal view.

"Hello Rhythm" Dr. Wily spoke "sleep well?"

_I slept quite well, how about you?_

"I slept well" The scientist then looked at the time "Mega Man and roll should arrive in about an hour. We should prepare for your repair. Bass, organize all the necessary tools. I need to get some breakfast"

The three left the bedroom, Dr. Wily traveling to the kitchen with Bass and Rhythm traveling to Bass's chamber to pick up music for Rhythm to listen to and they also procured a deck of cards as they killed time while waiting for Mega Man and Roll.

"What do you want to play?" Bass asked "Rummy? Five Card Draw? Old Maid?"

_Old Maid is fine._

The two used the operating table as a playing surface, and the pair rolled up two chairs for each of them to sit on. Bass shuffled the cards, inserted a joker, and dealt the cards. The two of them discarded their pairs and the game began.

"Rhythm" Bass cautiously spoke as he took a card from Rhythm "what would you do if we couldn't find out who immured you?" Bass placed down the pair.

_I would still search for the answer._

Rhythm took a card and put down a pair.

"Would you be obsessed with finding the answer?" Bass drew a card and placed down a pair.

_Not really, it would be along the lines of...a hobby._

Bass drew a card and placed it in his hand, it was the joker "Wouldn't you already have a large amount of hobbies?"

_What's wrong with multiple hobbies?_

"It's just that you have so many skills! Writing, drawing, musical interest, there seems to be a large collection of things for you to do!"

_Doing is one thing, enjoyment is something completely different._

Bass drew a card and placed a pair on the table "You're right"

The two played a few hands and a chime indicated that Mega Man and Roll were at the door.

Bass got up from the table and made his way to the entrance. When he opened the door, Mega Man had a large smile plastered on his face and Roll had an expression of worry.

"He's been like this all morning" Roll explained.

Bass looked at the blue bot and cocked an eyebrow "Is your programming out of whack?"

"No, I just happen to have good news!" Mega Man spoke as he entered "I told Dr. Light about our situation"

"Really?" Bass shouted "what did he say. Obviously something good if you're this happy"

"He was a little bit upset that I worked behind his back, but he lauded my precautions and is actually curious about our project"

"Our project?" Bass asked.

"I..uh" Mega Man paused "well since we worked on Rhythm so much together, it technically is our project"

Mega Man made his way to the workshop, Roll followed and so did Bass. Rhythm was putting playing cards away and Dr. Wily was enjoying some coffee.

"So," The doctor spoke as he put his mug down "are we ready to finish up the head?"

Mega Man and Dr. Wily got to work, and the three remaining robots discovered that they had nothing to do.

"Well...do you want to play a card game Roll?"

"I wouldn't mind, but does Rhythm have anything particular in mind?"

_Actually, I am QUITE worried about having my head being transplanted._

"You're right Rhythm" Roll concurred "We narrowly dodged a bullet in installing your temporary head. What should we do?"

The three contemplated for a moment, and Rhythm started drawing on a note pad with a possible plan.

_We could have a second pair of wires connected to my temporary head so that the original head is first connected to the temporary and then my body._

Bass took the rough image and examined it. He took a pencil and erased the wires that Rhythm drew and inserted a new set.

"How about we have a set of wires extending from the original head, attach those to the torso and remove the temporary one?"

"That may work" Roll spoke "But we need a way to test it"

Bass and Rhythm slowly turned towards Roll and smiled.

"Okay. Just let me ask Rock first if it's okay"

Roll quietly stormed off and Bass and Rhythm smiled like two brothers who were about to get revenge on their sister.

"I'm going to enjoy this as much as I can. Putting the sister of an enemy through torment is something I'll never forget"

_I'm just happy that there is no way Mega Man is going to say no._

Roll returned with a pout that slowly turned into a smirk. "My brother said that we could do the test on me, but to make sure it works on other robots" She paused which worried Bass "Bass has to have a head transplant also"

Bass sighed and face palmed "Okay then, but before we do anything else we need to find a head"

_Well I saw this strange white thing that kind of looks like a Lego head, maybe we should try that._

The three robots began to work on testing the head transplant technique while the two enemies continued working on Rhythm's head.

"Mega Man" Dr. Wily began "how is it working on robots with me again?"

"To be perfectly honest" Mega Man began "I enjoy it, for I am reminded of better times before you lost your head"

"How appropriate that we are working on one"

Dr. Wily chuckled, and Mega Man was reminded of Rhythm's sense of humor. He became envious, but maybe he could learn from Rhythm when he was full repaired. Mega Man smiled at the prospect.


	14. Chapter 14

Roll was laying down on the floor with her head almost detached from her body. Bass and Rhythm had the test head prepared with the necessary pairs of wires already jutting from the bottom.

"Are you ready Roll?" Bass asked.

"Ready as I ever will be" Roll groaned.

Bass smiled as he attached the cables to the hearing sensors of the test head to Roll's torso. With a little bit of solder, the connections were secure.

_Now the vital part.  
_  
Bass attached the wires of the temporary head's hearing sensors and soldered them in place.

"How's the sound?"

Roll let out a short shriek "I'm hearing everything in double stereo!" She whispered.

Bass disconnected Roll's head from the torso and then began attaching the other wires of the test head to Roll's body.

At one point, Dr. Wily glanced over and chuckled "I do admit Roll, you do look ridiculous"

"That's not the point" Roll replied "What matters is the fact that it works on me. Now let's get this off and let's test it on Bass"

Roll laid back down on the floor and Bass and Rhythm began to reattach Roll's head.

Meanwhile, Mega Man and Dr. Wily were still working on Rhythm's head.

"I find it peculiar..." Dr. Wily spoke as he sipped a cup of coffee.

"What is it?" Mega Man asked as he crushed his E-tank for recycling.

"This robot's facial features are extremely comparable to yours"

"How come?"

"Just take a look" Dr. Wily spoke as he picked up one of Rhythm's eyes. "Blue eyes, the face much like that of a boy, brown hair, it's uncanny. Do you think that who ever made this robot was inspired by your design?"

"I don't know. Since it was made by a robot, maybe Rhythm's creator based him on himself"

Dr. Wily cautiously glanced at Mega Man "You didn't make him, did you?"

Mega Man turned back to the scientist "That depends, did you immure him?"

Dr. Wily took offense to this "Are you saying that if you made a robot that I would want to dispose of him?"

"Well to be perfectly honest, that would all depend on the power you gave the robot. It would also depend if we on terms less pleasant than the ones we developed these past few days" Dr. Wily spoke, but he then realized something "Mega Man, what do you think would be the motive of the one who immured Rhythm?"

Mega Man pondered as he reattached one of the ears. "Jealousy? I mean, we have concluded that a robot made Rhythm. So if a human enclosed him, the person must have been jealous that a robot was able to achieve such a feat. But instead of disposing of the creator, the creation was to be removed"

Dr. Wily sighed "To be perfectly frank, I would be jealous too. Yet considering Rhythm's abilities, skills, and wisdom, it's cruel knowing that he was damaged as such"

Mega Man sighed "Well, to answer your question, I didn't make him"

"I though not" Dr. Wily answered "Because if you did, I would think that either you or Rhythm would have remembered, even though Rhythm's memory is compromised"

Suddenly, a scream came from the other end of the room.

"YOU PUT IT ON BACKWARDS!" Bass shouted.

Mega Man and Dr. Wily turned and saw that Bass had the test head looking towards the two of them and Bass's feet were pointed towards Roll and Rhythm.

"How do you mess that up?" Mega Man shouted.

Rhythm shrugged while Roll tried to calm Bass down.

Mega Man the approached the trio and asked them how the testing went.

"Well except for the fact that we put the test head backwards on Bass" Roll began as Bass laid on the ground and began to remove the test head "there were no hiccups in the transplant"

"Alright them" Mega Man replied "I just wish that we thought of this previously"

Roll removed the test head and began to replace Bass's as Mega Man returned to Dr. Wily.

Repairing the head took quite a while, after testing the transplant method. Everyone, including Rhythm, helped the repair in some way for some of the adjustments required more than four hands. The head of a robot is the second most complicated component of a robot, second to the torso.

_It's weird seeing my own head being worked on...live._

"I understand" Dr. Wily replied "It's not something that a human is able to experience"

Hours passed with little tension, but most of the worry came from worrying if the transplant technique was going to work. The head was finally finished, and Dr. Wily just had to run it through test programming to see if it would still be operational. The scientist left the room and left the four robots alone, all of them concerned whether or not the handiwork was passable.

Rhythm was listening to a cassette as they waited.

_"Like father like son  
Not flesh nor fish nor bone"  
_  
As the music played, Bass noticed that Mega Man's legs were shaking.

"What's worrying you?" Bass asked.

Mega Man looked at Bass "I'm just concerned about what Dr. Light may think of Rhythm. He is coming later"

Bass looked at Rhythm, an emotionless face was worn on the silent robot.

_"He's a sly one, he's a shy one  
Wouldn't you be too.  
Scared to be left all on his own.  
Hasn't a, hasn't a friend to play with"  
_  
"Rhythm," Bass began "are you worried about meeting with Dr. Light?"

Rhythm stopped the tape.

_A little bit worried. For I've gotten to know you four, including Dr. Wily, these past few days and I have no idea about his personality._

"Would you like me to tell you a little bit about him?" Mega Man offered.

_No thanks, I would like to form impressions by myself if that's okay._

"Thats fine" Mega Man replied. Dr. Wily then entered the room with Rhythm's head in hand and a smile on his face.

"The repairs were successful. Lets reattach this to Rhythm"

The four robots got up and Rhythm laid down on the operating table. Dr. Wily placed Rhythm's head next to his temporary one. The scientist began to detach Rhythm's head, the wires still connecting power to his head's processes.

"So how exactly does this work?" Dr. Wily asked.

"We attach wires to the power and hearing sensors first of the original head, then attach the original head, and then remove the temporary one"

Dr. Wily shrugged as he procured the correct grade wires for the needed connection. He soldered them in to the head and then began to solder the hearing sensors to the torso.

"Is everything going well Rhythm?" Roll asked.

_Everything is fine, I'll just have to prepare for the double stereo._

Dr. Wily then soldered the power wires and Rhythm slightly cringed.

_The double voice startles me._

"Let us just disconnect the old wires" Dr. Wily whispered

Dr. Wily disconnected the power cables to the temporary head and Rhythm relaxed.

_I feel much better._

"Wonderful Rhythm! How's his power? Did we lose any?"

Bass turned to a computer monitor "No power was lost"

"I can't believe that worked" Mega Man spoke as he stared at Rhythm in amazement.

"Well I'm glad we tested the concept before installation" Roll spoke.

"I think that we all deserve a well earned break" Dr. Wily announced. He left the room and returned with some E-tanks for the group, and a can of soda for himself. The five opened the vessels of liquid and Dr. Wily stood on a stool.

"I would like to make a toast" Dr. Wily began "to Rhythm, for understanding through adversity!"

"To a break from the monotony!" Mega Man called.

"To new friends!" Bass spoke.

"To the lives examined!" Roll shouted.

_To all that and more._

The five sipped, and a chime came from the front door. Mega Man looked at the time. It was half past ten, much later than when Dr. Light would have called.

The group all turned to each other.

"Rhythm, get on the operating table. Mega Man, Roll, Bass, you all stay here. I'll answer the door"

The robots did as they were told, and Dr. Willy answered the door.

"Hello Tom" Dr. Wily spoke.


	15. Chapter 15

"Hello Albert. We meet on cordial terms I hope"

Dr. Light's white hair and beard reflected the lamps from ceiling. His blue eyes looked directly at the concerned Dr. Wily. His right hand was wrapped in a bandage and his left hand held an umbrella.

"That all depends on you, for I promise to inflict no harm. That is, unless you threaten me in some way. Come in"

Dr. Wily invited his enemy into his fortress and noticed the bandage on his hand.

"What happened to your hand?"

"A colleague foolishly cut me at dinner last night. He dragged the knife on top of my hand while receiving it"

Dr. Wily led Dr. Light into the workshop. Rhythm laid on the table with headphones covering his ears, and Mega Man acted as a separator between Bass and Roll.

"Hello there father" Roll weakly spoke. Mega Man said nothing.

"We have been methodically repairing Rhythm piece by piece. We stared with his legs, his cannon arm, his other arm, and we finished on his head just about a half hour ago" Dr. Wily explained.

"Why did you not just shut him down and repair all the components simultaneously?" Dr. Light inquired.

"I ran him through diagnostics, and it said that shutting down the system would cause him to lose his memories"

Dr. Light looked down at the robot, the scientist's expression ceased to change.

"You have the permission to speak" Dr. Light spoke to Rhythm.

The iPad made noises.

_Hello there Dr. Light._

"Why can't he speak?" Dr. Light asked.

"His voice box is ruined" Bass spoke "and the only to replace it is if the robot is fully powered down"

Dr. Light slowly turned to Bass, his expression never changing.

"You found him?" Dr. Light asked.

"Yes, but he happened to get out of behind the wall by himself. It was a stormy night, lightning was striking so that must have given Rhythm the power to escape"

Dr. Light turned back to Rhythm.

"What's with the cassette player?" Dr. Light asked.

_Silence causes me to enter a state of panic that causes me to lose my energy.  
_  
Mega Man spoke "We have come to the conclusion that in past thunderstorms where at least some power was restored, the fact that he had no power to rescue himself and that no one could help him resulted in this state"

Dr. Light raised an eyebrow and asked Rhythm another question.

"Do you have any idea who did this to you?"

Rhythm shook his head.

_My memory has been damaged._

Dr. Light then turned to Dr. Wily "May I see his internal circuitry?"

Dr. Wily left for a moment and procured a pair of screwdrivers of them to poke around the interior of Rhythm's torso. Dr. Wily opened the robot up and they saw the damaged but barely working components.

"I plan on repairing the torso as much as I can tomorrow" Dr. Wily explained "It will be hard without shutting down the system, but I can probably repair about...I don't know...maybe 75% fixed"

Dr. Light put his screwdriver down "I wouldn't recommend that"

Dr. Wily and the four Robots all turned to Dr. Light.

"You wouldn't recommend that?" Bass spoke "YOU WOULDN'T RECOMMEND THAT?"

"Listen," Dr. Light began "His interior components are practically shot. One blow to his torso and he's a goner. Not to mention his condition involving silence. Two detriments to a fighting robot. I suggest that he be shut down completely and recycled"

Rhythm cringed as he heard these words.

"YOU HAVE TO BE JOKING!" Bass shouted.

"Bass, please" Mega Man pleaded.

"No Mega Man" Bass spoke as he stepped closer "Listen, I've known Rhythm for the past few days and you have just met him fifteen minutes ago. Rhythm is not a fighting robot. His desires are to be as human as possible! He can draw, he can write, he's smart, he's kind, he's creative, he's imaginative, he's capable of love, he's sympathetic, he's understanding, he's funny, he's philosophical, HE'S PRACTICALLY A BROTHER TO ME!"

Bass kneeled on the floor. "Or do you worry that Dr. Wily is going to turn him into a Robot Master? News Flash, Rhythm is better than those creations of the past! And you want him to be shut down?"

Dr. Light stood there motionless and Bass suffered a breakdown.

"I'm sorry. But the reason I suggested shutdown was because he has suffered, and will suffer" Dr. Light explained.

_I'm not suffering on my own accord. I'm suffering because Bass is. He treats me like a brother, and I wish to care for him as he wishes to care for me. I know that I will not be able to operate fully, but those are the circumstances of my condition. I still want to be able to do great things, my disabilities not being an excuse for laziness. If you could only understand what I can do, you would think different._

Dr. Light sighed "I'm sorry, but I fear that people with take advantage over your disabilities. I do not wish to see that"

Dr. Wily walked forward "Please Tom, give Rhythm the choice"

Dr. Light glanced at Rhythm and then back at Dr. Wily "Alright then, I'll come with Mega Man and Roll tomorrow around nine in the morning" Dr. Light then turned to Rhythm "But Rhythm, heed my suggestion"

Dr. Light turned to Mega Man and Roll "Rock, I'm glad that you took precautions but if Rhythm decided to power himself down you must realize that you did all that you could"

Mega Man weakly smiled and so did Roll. Dr. Light and his creations then silently left with Bass still on his knees, Rhythm still listening to music, and Dr. Wily just stared at the two robots.

Bass eventually crawled to the table where Rhythm lay "Rhythm, you wouldn't do something as stupid as ending your life?" he weakly asked.

_No. Those who often wish for death wish for life when they begin the irreversible deed. A robot wishing death is like a god wishing that he didn't exist. A creation of great ability would lose what he had generated and halt new creations. Misery? Everyone is miserable, some are just more miserable than others._

Rhythm placed his hand on Bass's helmet.

_I won't leave you._

Rhythm got on to the floor.

_I want to be a brother to you, ever since you lost your others._

"Thank you"

Dr. Wily left the two, retreating to his bedroom as the two robots comforted each other.

Meanwhile, Dr. Light, Mega Man, and Roll all returned home. When they arrived, the doctor's luggage was at the entryway of the house and Rush was waiting patiently.

"Father," Mega Man quietly began "you said that we could talk when we returned"

"I'm sorry Mega Man" Dr. Light began "it's late and I didn't get much sleep on the airplane back. We'll talk tomorrow after Rhythm makes his decision"

Dr. Light went to his bedroom, turned off the light, and fell asleep without even taking his clothing off.

Mega Man and Roll made their way to the living room, grabbing a pair of E-tanks in transit.

"Do you think that Rhythm will want to be shut off?" Roll asked.

"Do you want to be shut off? Does anyone?" Mega Man asked.

"The depressed might..."

"Depressed? Rhythm is anything but depressed. He still feels the effects of adversity but understanding that it happens and wants to change the status quo. He's changed us, me, you, Bass, Dr. Wily..."

"But can he change Dr. Light?"

Mega Man sighed "I think he can"

Roll sipped her E-tank and then spoke "Rock, I told Rhythm about Proto Man"

Mega Man cocked an eyebrow in intrigue "What did you tell him?"

"I told him that they probably would get along well. Both have degrees of independence, both think for themselves, Proto Man has seen the world and Rhythm is very knowledgeable of the world. They would almost be like brother"

"Funny, since Bass wants Rhythm to be HIS brother"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. It's just that since Bass found him first, his connection is the strongest"

"I would like to believe that Rhythm could have a strong connection with anybody" Roll stated.

Mega Man sighed "Only if that person is ready to be changed"

The blue robot got up and put the E-tank into recycling. He then began to make his way to his bedroom but stopped when he saw a drip of red substance on the floor near Dr. Light's bedroom. Mega Man went to the bathroom to grab a towel to clean it up.

As he did so, a loud lurch came from Dr. Light's room. Mega Man shrugged as he cleaned he liquid, assuming that Dr. Light had fallen off of his bed.

The red liquid did not come completely out of the floor, so he told himself to tell Roll to clean it later.

Mega Man entered his bedroom, and picked up the book _The Return of the Gadfly: Questions Upon Questions._

When Rhythm was finally repaired, he would be able to get the answers he was looking for.


	16. Chapter 16

_Do you think that I will be able to see Mega Man and Roll after my repairs are complete?_

"I am sure of it" Bass answered.

_Will Dr. Wily and Dr. Light still be enemies?_

"Probably, because after Dr Wily's numerous attempts, forgiveness is almost impossible"

_What about you and Mega Man?_

"A rivalry seems to be imminent"

The two were sitting in Bass's chamber, Rhythm was looking over the image of Bass looking over the tombstone that he drew.

_I don't want to fill that grave._

"You aren't...at least, not tomorrow. I'm glad that you are asking these questions, for I am curious of what's to come. You changed all of us, except Dr. Light for he only encountered you just today. Now get some sleep, tomorrow is probably going to be a long day"

Rhythm put on a cassette tape, plugged in a power cable, and fell asleep. When Rhythm was fully engrossed by his circumstance, Bass left him to go for a walk around the perimeter of the fortress so he could meet Proto Man.

A light rain had just began to fall when Bass exited the fortress, but half an hour passed and the reclusive robot was no where to be seen.

"Where the hell is Proto Man?" Bass quietly shouted at himself. "He said that he wanted to talk to Dr. Light but I assumed that he would return tonight"

Bass walked around the perimeter for a good twenty minutes, but Proto Man was no where to be seen.

"Maybe he's at Dr. Light's" Bass told himself "I better go over there"

So Bass walked through the rainy night to possibly locate Proto Man at Dr. Light's, leaving Dr. Wily and Rhythm at the fortress.

-[+]-

Before he went to bed that night, Dr. Wily set his clock for 7:30 so he could prepare for Dr. Light's arrival. When the scientist awoke, he made his way to wake Rhythm and Bass.

But when he entered the chamber, the absence of Bass surprised him.

"Rhythm?" Dr. Wily asked "Are you awake?"

Dr. Wily entered the chamber and prodded the robot with his hands.

WELCOME_BACK_RHYTHM appeared on the iPad.

_Good Morning Dr. Wily  
_  
Rhythm's eyes flickered open and he raised himself off the bed.

"Did you rest well?"

_I would say so._

Rhythm started glancing around the room.

_Where's Bass?_

"I don't know. I came to wake the two of you up and I only found you"

Rhythm shrugged and Dr. Wily sighed and covered his face in distress.

"If Bass isn't present when Dr. Light arrives, the climate surrounding your repair will be rather...unpleasant"

_Don't worry...excessively at least. Don't let it show or Dr. Light will see your concern._

"Alright then..." Dr. Wily spoke as he sat next to Rhythm on the bed "It's strange"

_What is?_

"All these years Dr. Light and I have been bitter enemies. We used to be colleagues, we worked on the first set of Robot Masters which I...took advantage of. And after nine more attempts, I find my self working with my enemy who also used to be a friend"

_Friendships don't last forever._

"I know that, but the fact that we are to work together today makes me wonder...can we truly forgive each other?"

Rhythm shook his head.

_Unlikely, Bass told me so last night. But he does infer that the relationship between him and Mega Man will improve. The old farts, my apologies...  
_  
"It's fine"

_...are less likely to change because they have gone through so much and have become firm in their processes. Those who are old and adaptable are more likely to cope with new developments. A robot that is adaptable has more of a chance of surviving than one who can't. The same is with humanity._

_It'll be fine Dr. Wily, just stay calm._

"Okay then...I'm going to prepare some breakfast for myself"

_Actually, could I help prepare a meal for when Dr. Light arrives?_

Dr. Wily raised an eyebrow "You can cook too?"

Rhythm shook his head.

_No, but I'm willing to try, it may help me connect with Dr. Light better.  
_  
Dr. Wily searched through his kitchen while Rhythm looked for a possible recipe on the tablet he was connected to. They agreed on eggs because that was practicality the only cookable meal option in the fortress. The doctor helped Rhythm prepare the meal and then prepared the workshop himself.

When Dr. Light arrived with Mega Man and Roll, Dr. Wily greeted his guests.

"Hello there Tom" Dr. Wily spoke with a sincere smile.

"Hello there Albert" Dr. Light replied with little expression.

"Did you happen to have breakfast yet?" Wily nervously asked

Dr. Light tilted his head in bewilderment "No, why?"

"Rhythm is preparing breakfast in the kitchen. I was setting up my workshop for the repairs, we can talk over the specifics while we eat"

Dr. Light glanced at Dr. Wily suspiciously "Okay then" the scientist turned to his creations "Mega Man, Roll, you two go over to the workshop and get everything in order. I'll be with Dr. Wily"

The robots nodded and traveled to the workshop. Dr. Wily had already made most of the necessary preparations, so Roll and Mega Man quickly finished the job.

"That should be all the necessary parts in place..." Mega Man glanced around the room "...but it seems like something is missing"

Roll began to glance as well "I know! Bass isn't here"

Mega Man rolled his eyes "You gotta be kidding me"

"Don't worry, he's probably still in his chamber. Remember when you woke him that day?"

Mega Man nodded "Okay, I'll go find Bass" The blue bot left the room and made his way to Bass's room. But to Mega Man's surprise, Bass was missing. Mega Man grew suspicious and made his way to the kitchen. Before the robot entered, he overheard the discussion between Dr. Light, Dr. Wily, and Rhythm.

"So you are certain that you want to be repaired? You do know we can not completely repair you"

_I rather be crippled with the memories I have rather than a perfect body and a empty mind._

"I already told you Tom, he considers the shut down to be suicide to him!"

"But you just told me that he's had these harsh memories, he should let them go"

"No life is just pleasant days, we both should know that knowing our conflicts"

"But robots can start again from scratch"

_Why should a robot start again from scratch? Why must we look to make a perfect being? Perfection comes from flaws, and those flaws are something to overcome. What good is greatness without adversity?_

Mega Man then entered the room "Excuse me gentlemen, I was searching around the compound and Bass happened to be...absent." Mega Man turned to Dr. Wily "Do you know where he is?"

"Why no, he was here this morning when I woke up" Dr. Wily explained.

"Well what does Rhythm know?" Dr. Light asked, turning to the robot he questioned.

Rhythm hesitated, and Mega Man noticed that Dr. Wily was doing the "Head cutting" motion out of the view of Dr. Light.

_I woke up with him by my side, but later he was gone._

Dr. Light glared at Dr. Wily "Albert, if you are trying to pull something..."

"I'm not trying to pull anything. His location is a complete mystery to me"

Dr. Light groaned "Alright then, let's finish breakfast and then get to work"

The two scientists ate and Rhythm left the room with Mega Man. Out of earshot from the scientists, Mega Man asked Rhythm about Bass's whereabouts.

_I honestly don't know. He was here last night but not this morning. I suspect that he had left some times during the night but he always returned previously._

"But that was before Dr. Light came...this may not be good"

_Lets just keep calm, and carry on._

The two robots made their way to the workshop. Rhythm laid on the table while Mega Man explained the situation to Roll before the scientists arrived.

"Alright then" Dr. Wily announced as he put on a pair of gloves "even though we're down a pair of hands, the pace of the repairs should be equal or better than our previous operations. We're going to work from the outside of the torso's interior" Dr. Wily then turned to Rhythm "but to make some of the repairs we must remove your limbs, but not your head, understood?"

Rhythm nodded.

"Alright then" Dr. Wily spoke "let us begin"


	17. Chapter 17

The speculation over Bass's location put everyone in an uneasy mood, even Rhythm. But repairs began without hiccups, as they removed Rhythm's arms first and worked on repairing his torso from there.

"So Albert..." Dr. Light began "What are your plans for Rhythm when we finish his repairs?"

"He's probably going to stay here for a while. During that time, I will try to find a suitable residence for him to stay in. Most likely an apartment in the city" Dr. Wily answered as he prepared a wire.

"What does he plan to do?"

_I want to be creative. I want to draw, write, read, learn how to play an instrument, work on robotics, the options are unlimited._

"Well since we are talking about it," Dr. Wily began "what would you like in your apartment?"

Rhythm thought for a moment, but Mega Man and Roll gave suggestions.

"Probably a stereo for your music collection" Mega Man suggested.

"A drawing table could be nice" Roll added.

"And to be on the practical side" Dr. Wily interrupted "a soft bed since not all of the torso's parts will be completely tight"

"Really?" Dr. Light asked "You are treating him like he's done some grand deed, and all that he has done is been found!"

"What's wrong?" Roll asked.

"He hasn't done anything worthy to deserve such stuff" Dr. Light replied.

"Well what's that saying?" Dr. Wily snidely began "Some are born great, and some are MADE great?"

Dr. Light scoffed "Says the man who has lost ten times"

_Don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs Dr. Light. Measure him by how high he bounces when he hits bottom.  
_  
"And to be perfectly frank" Mega Man began "He bounces higher every time"

"Unlike dad who hasn't fallen because other's are his supports" Roll added.

Dr. Wily chucked.

"Listen Roll," Dr. Light spoke as he pointed his tool at said robot "if it wasn't for me you wouldn't be here"

"Well you may not be able to live without us" Mega Man began "but we could live without you"

Dr. Light dropped his tool.

"Okay, when did this become the roast of Thomas Light?" Dr. Light asked.

_What do you mean? They're just having a little fun._

"They should know better not to say things like that to a superior!"

_I don't believe in superiors, I believe in parents. If my maker treated me like a machine, I would express distaste for my treatment._

"Your actions could result in your downfall"

_At least I would have made a point._

"How would you know? You were enclosed in a wall for who knows how long?"

_I've lived long enough to know how to make a point._

Dr. Light said nothing and sighed as he retrieved his tool.

The repairs went quietly, which resulted in a quick break as Dr. Wily retrieved Rhythm's walkman to prevent a breakdown. They reattached Rhythm's arms and then began to remove the legs to continue the repairs. The operations continued with little conflict, the only true dialogue coming from Rhythm's Walkman. The music was muffled by the fact the sound was directed to his ears but lyrics could still be heard.

_"It's not time to make a change_

_Just relax, take it easy_  
_You're still young, that's your fault"_

"Mega Man" Dr. Light began "During the time you have worked with Dr. Wily, you have...changed"

"Is that bad?" Mega Man asked.

"No, but you have become more inquisitive and that...worries me"

"What's wrong with asking questions?"

"It upsets the status quo. Things don't work as efficiently, people do not work as hard, things break down"

"Efficiency is not the most important thing in the world. Questions upon questions are needed to see if what we are doing is right. Even though I have worked with Dr. Wily and Bass, I feel like the virtues have outweighed the vices"

"But no one can know about it Mega Man" Dr. Light explained.

"He's right Mega Man" Dr. Wily interrupted "if people found out that you collaborated with me, your reputation and trustworthiness would be...compromised"

"I know that" Mega Man bluntly replied.

The cassette continued as the repairs progressed silently.

_"How can I try to explain?  
When I do he turns away again  
It's always been the same, same old story  
From the moment I could talk  
I was ordered to listen  
Now there's a way"  
_  
"Uh, Dr. Light" Mega Man began "I have a question to ask you"

"What is it?" Dr. Light asked.

"Since you returned, I feel like I need to get away for a while"

Dr. Light looked up from his repairs "How come?"

"It's because...I've been doing the same routine for so long that I feel like I need a change of scenery"

"Me too" Roll added.

Dr. Light looked at the two in confusion "You want to leave for a while? What if Dr. Wily prepares another attack?"

Dr. Wily groaned and turned to Dr. Light "You have to be so paranoid, don't you?"

"Me? Paranoid? You've initiated your schemes so many times! Without Mega Man, who will stop you?"

"Myself" Dr. Wily bluntly explained. He then turned to Rhythm "What is my ultimate goal in my world domination plan? If I do succeed, considering my age, it would be a fleeting period of leadership that would ultimately disintegrate into what things were like before"

"You don't know that!" Dr. Light replied "You are trying to lure me in to safety!"

"If it wasn't for Rhythm, you'd be right" Dr. Wily replied.

Dr. Light said nothing as Rhythm's legs were reattached. The four then began to work on the connections from the interior of Rhythm's torso.

"This is the most delicate part of the repairs" Dr. Wily told Rhythm "Whatever happens, do not worry"

_I'll do my best not to._

Dr. Light looked at Dr. Wily in confusion "Why did you tell him that?"

"We did repairs on his head. Since he loses power when he can't hear, we almost lost him when we transplanted a temporary head"

Dr. Light said nothing as the repairs continued.

"Roll" Mega Man asked "could you get me the wire strippers? I need to prepare a wire"

Roll left the table as Mega Man stood on one side of Rhythm and the two scientists worked on the other side. The work slowly progressed, and Roll was having problems finding a wire stripper.

But suddenly, something went wrong.

_Why did my music stop?_

Dr. Wily glanced at the iPad

-CHARGE_92%  
-CHARGE_90%  
-CHARGE_87%

"WHAT HAPPENED?" Dr. Wily shouted.

"Shit!" Dr. Light exclaimed "I cut the wrong wire!"

Mega Man shouted at roll "HURRY WITH THOSE WIRE STRIPPERS!"

Roll frantically searched through the tool chest and found it and ran to Dr. Light and handed the tool to him. Dr. Light grabbed the cut wire and was about to strip it but dropped the tool.

-CHARGE_79%

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!?" Dr. Wily shouted.

"MY HAND SHOOK!" Dr. Light screamed as he picked up the tool. He began to work but he dropped it again.

_NOTAGAINNOTTAGAINNOTAGAIN!_

"LET ME TAKE CARE OF IT!" Dr. Wily spoke as he pushed Dr. Light on to the floor and picked up the wire strippers.

-CHARGE_69%

_PLEASENOPLEASENO!_

Dr. Wily took the wire strippers and removed the rubber.

-CHARGE_64%

"I almost got it!" Dr. Wily exclaimed.

The scientist twisted the wired together and the loss in power stopped. Dr. Wily then took a wire of the appropriate gage and attached it to the appropriate ends with a soldering iron and removed the sliced wires. He then turned to Dr. Light.

"GODDAMNIT TOM!" The scientist shouted "What has gotten into you?"

"Don't yell at me Albert!" Dr. Light shouted "I'm nervous, because working with you and the fact that Bass isn't present makes it necessary to look out for my head!"

"As you should" said a voice that came from the workshop doorway.

The scientists and robots turned to the doorway and saw Bass, with a angry scowl on his face and his red eyes flaring with his arm cannon pointed directly at Dr. Light.

And slumped over Bass's shoulder, was the body of Proto Man. His trench coat loosely worn on the body and shades hanging of one of the connections.

Mega Man engaged his arm cannon and pointed it at Bass. "WHERE THE HECK DID YOU FIND HIM AND WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?"

Bass let out a deep chuckle "Why don't you ask your maker, Mega Man?"


	18. Chapter 18

Mega Man, Roll, and Dr. Wily all let out a collective gasp and turned their attention to Dr. Light.

"You seriously can't believe Bass! He must have taken Proto Man down himself and tried to pin the crime on me!"

"Not so fast Dr. Light" Bass spoke "If some one can get an E-tank for Proto Man you can hear the tale from the horse's mouth"

Dr. Wily quickly exited the room and returned with an E-tank. Bass propped Proto Man against the workshop table and when Dr. Wily returned the tank Proto Man consumed the energy.

"I went to Dr. Light's yesterday around six o'clock" Proto Man began "I wanted to talk to him, and also get energy for I was weary and had not acquired any sustenance. I knocked on the door and was surprised to find that Dr. Light was there with luggage strewn about his entryway. He led me inside and I told him that I wished to talk and that I needed energy. He then took me to the workshop and acquired an E-tank, and asking if I wanted to be checked on. I allowed him to, and he began using soldering irons and electrical implements to ruin my interior. I grabbed a sharp object to retaliate but all I did was cut his hand. I then blacked out and when I awoke, I found myself in a closet and Bass was force feeding me an E-tank. He then dragged me to one of Dr. Light's vehicles and drove me here"

"What?" Mega Man said in wonder "Dr. Light? Why would you do such a thing?"

"I thought that he was going to attack me and I needed to disable him!" Dr. Light explained.

"Hold on!" Roll exclaimed "I can understand you being worried about Proto Man attacking you, but why did you arrive home at a time earlier than you told us?"

"I...I...I" Dr. Light babbled. And as Dr. Light tried to produce an answer, Roll's eyes drifted towards Rhythm's iPad and saw one word.

-Father?

Rhythm's eyes looked like they were about to cry while he tenderly put his hand on Proto Man's shoulder.

-Don't you remember me?

"Father?" Roll asked aloud, and that statement caught the attention of Dr. Wily.

"What do you mean Roll?" Dr. Wily asked.

"Help me help Proto Man up"

Dr. Wily and Roll supported Proto Man up and Rhythm looked into Proto Man's blue eyes.

-Dad. Remember me?"

"I...I don't know what you're talking about"

-You have to be dad, I would recognize you anytime. You made me, and took me to the Modern Mansion, remember?

"I...don't...wait...it's slowly coming back to me..."

Bass walked over to Rhythm, still pointing his arm cannon at Dr. Light, and looked at the memory bank.

THE PROTOMETHEUS'S PROMETHEUS

"The PROTOmetheus's prometheus" Bass spoke "The prototype's creation. Proto Man made him...Hold on" Bass then turned to Proto Man "if you made Rhythm, why didn't you recognize him when I showed him to you?"

Mega Man turned to Bass. "YOU MET WITH PROTO MAN AND DIDN'T TELL ME?"

Bass sighed as Dr. Wily left the room

"I wanted to respect Proto Man's wishes" Bass explained.

Mega Man grumbled as Dr. Wily returned with a flash drive.

"Years ago, I found Proto Man and converted his solar power system into a nuclear one" The doctor explained "To save him, I had to remove some memory to make the system work, but I saved the information for all these years, not knowing whether it would be useful"

"Why did you never look at it yourself?" Roll asked.

"Only the robot of origin can read it's past memories" Mega Man explained.

Dr. Wily inserted the USB into Proto Man and the robot's eyes lit up. "I...remember. I made a robot, believing that I would die soon, and treated him like a son. I gave him test programming, I took him to the Modern Mansion, and he disappeared that day"

"Was Dr. Light there?" Bass asked.

"Yes" Proto Man answered.

All eyes turned to Dr. Light, and Bass walked up to the panicking scientist and pointed his arm cannon to kill. "You better explain yourself"

Dr. Light sighed "Alright, I will"

The scientist sat on a stool and began to explain.

"When Proto Man was originally made, he ran off before his system could be modified so that he could live. A problem that Dr. Wily had solved. At some point, I went to a convention at the Modern Mansion and saw that Proto Man had a robot with him. I talked to some of the other scientists and learned that the robot was named Rhythm and made by Proto Man. The fact that a robot was able to make his own creation that surpassed my own projects at the time caused me to resolve to dispose of Rhythm.

So due to this fit of jealousy, I found an opportunity to remove Rhythm from public view. I asked him to show his strengths, like using his arm cannon. He used up his power, and I took him down to the cellar. I found a hole in the wall, and by using some tools from the nearby basement workshop, I damaged him and immured him.

Before I...tried to dispose of him...he talked philosophy, saying that robots should think for themselves and that robots and humans should live in harmony and not have one group rule over the other. His mental independence I found greater than that of Proto Man's, I feared that"

Dr. Light had closed his eyes and Bass put his cannon down.

"Proto Man...why didn't you tell me that Rhythm was your creation?" Bass asked.

"It's because I modified his memory" Dr. Wily explained.

"It's okay Dr. Wily," Proto Man spoke "If you didn't modify me, I wouldn't be here"

"But it's strange" Bass spoke to Dr. Light "Why would you want to disable Proto Man?"

"When Mega Man told me about the robot you found, I realized that Rhythm had been responsible for the change in Mega Man's behavior when I talked to him. I wanted to stop things from changing"

"But haven't you realized that things have changed for the better?" Bass asked "If it wasn't for Rhythm, neither Mega Man or you would be able to work together with Dr. Wily and I. If it wasn't for Rhythm, we wouldn't have realized the pointlessness of some of our goals. If it wasn't for Rhythm, I would still be caring about only myself"

_I have a question._

"What is it Rhythm?" Roll asked.

_I recall my father not being called Proto Man._

"That's because Proto Man was originally known as Blues" Dr. Light explained.

Bass suddenly came to a realization "Rock and Roll, Bass and Treble, Rhythm...and Blues"

_Yes...Blues...that was dad's name._

Rhythm got up off of the table.

_Dad._

"Son" Proto Man spoke as he hugged Rhythm. But as the two contacted, they both appeared to lose their balance.

"Okay you two" Dr. Wily spoke "Back on the operating table, and that means you too Proto Man"

Proto Man said nothing as the two damaged robots proped themselves onto the workshop table.

Dr. Wily then turned to Dr. Light "I am not going to let you even TOUCH Rhythm after the little stunt you pulled. I now know that you were trying to shut down Rhythm. But since you made a mess out of Proto Man's system, we'll clean it together"

Dr. Light groaned as The two scientists worked on Proto Man and the three capable robots worked on Rhythm.

"I have a question" Proto Man began as Dr. Wily opened up the robot's torso "What are we going to tell the authorities?"

_I really don't think that's the best idea._

"What do you mean?" Mega Man wondered "Shouldn't Dr. Light pay for the crimes he committed?"

_Think about it._

Mega Man and Bass scratched their heads, but Roll came to the conclusion faster than her male companions.

"If we told the authorities about what happened, we would have to bring Dr. Wily and Bass to give their testimonials and they would be arrested as well for their previous deeds" Roll began, and she then turned to Mega Man "Also Rock, your reputation would be ruined if the public found out that your creator did such a deed"

"That isn't fair!" Bass shouted "why can't Dr. Light be punished for his deeds?"

_I would think that shame and guilt would burden him enough, would't you think so brother?_

"Brother?" Proto Man asked "you know that isn't true"

_We treat each other like brothers. But that's besides my point. My point is while Bass and Dr. Wily will have their secret victories, Dr. Light will have his loss. An unshared guilt is more demeaning than an unshared victory, especially if the one who is a victor has lost many times before._

Bass grinned " I understand Rhythm"

_Thanks, now could you get me a different cassette tape please?_

Bass left the room and returned with a tape. Rhythm took the tape and placed it in the walkman.

"What's with the cassette tapes?" Proto Man asked.

_It's so that I don't have to live in silence anymore._

Rhythm pressed play and enjoyed the music as he was being repaired along side his father, his brother from another father, his friends, and a man who was still getting to know him better.

_"I'll tip my hat to the new constitution  
Take a bow for the new revolution  
Smile and grin at the change all around"_


	19. Epilogue

The repairs finished with little consequence, save for the one moment when Dr. Wily threatened Dr. Light when the latter reached over Rhythm's body, and both robots were almost perfect when they were done.

Proto Man was shut down for a moment so they repair some of the more intricate details, which saddened Rhythm. He wanted to be like his father, but his condition wouldn't allow it.

Mega Man and Roll left with Dr. Light, leaving Rhythm, Bass, and Proto Man with Dr. Wily together.

The four all went to Dr. Wily's messy living room to relax after a long day and being repaired. The three robots all sat one of the couches with a collective sigh.

"Kind of a hectic day, wasn't it?" Bass asked.

_For everyone involved._

"I must ask you though," Bass began "do you hold anything against Dr. Light?"

_No, for I sympathize with him, and the fact that Blues programmed me with the information that people would be envious of my abilities helps. _

"It was sort of a safeguard so that if Rhythm was hated for what he was, he wouldn't go seeking revenge"

"That makes sense" Bass replied "because I couldn't see a robot as wise as Rhythm be bloodthirsty"

_Neither could I, but I do need some energy._

"I'll get you some E-tanks then" Dr. Wily spoke.

The scientist left the room and entered the kitchen to acquire a treat for himself first.

"To be consumed in the celebration of my victory" he read off of a tag that hung from a bottle of Amontillado. He took the bottle out of the rack and then grabbed a six pack of E-tanks and corkscrew and wine glass for himself.

"Here you are boys" Dr. Wily spoke as he placed the tanks in Rhythm's lap. He then opened the Amontillado and poured himself a glass "To victory" he toasted.

"To new friends" Bass toasted.

"To reunited families" Proto Man toasted.

_To the unknown possibilities, and may the best of our pasts be the worst of our futures._

"To your room" Mega Man told Dr. Light as arrived at the Light residence. The doctor's luggage still strewn in the hallway. Mega Man was slightly peeved at the fact that his own father was capable of the things he did. Roll left the two to check on Rush and Dr. Light and Mega Man entered the scientist's room.

"Mega Man, I'm sorry" Dr. Light began.

"Really? After all the stuff you did?"

"The capacity to do wrong is a human trait. People oppresses it for the benefit of society" Dr. Light replied.

Mega Man realized that Dr. Light was repeating the words that the robot spoke a few days ago. He stood there in shock.

"I just happened to release myself from a burdening fact today" Dr. Light continued "and to answer the question you asked, that question being if you did turn against me, would I still be proud of the good you did before...I would still be proud. And the fact that you turned against me in a way that saved rather than harmed makes me more proud"

"Who's to say that I didn't harm you?"

Dr. Light let out a light laugh "I deserved it. Now tell me, what do you want to know?"

Mega Man and Dr. Light conversed for a good hour, with Roll eavesdropping on the conversation.

The day slowly turned into night for all. Bass and Rhythm were still talking in the living room, and Proto Man and Dr. Wily were talking to each other at the workshop, the scientist still enjoying his wine.

"It's funny" Proto Man spoke "It's from this very room that you brought me from the brink of ruin, and you did the same to my son on this very table"

"It's also funny that both of your memories were compromised at some point on this table"

"You had to do that to save me" Proto Man replied "and I'm glad that I finally have it all back"

"Well to be perfectly honest, when I found you, your design helped me design Bass"

"Really? because Rhythm's design is based off of my own"

Dr. Wily just stared at Proto Man in wonder and the scientist eventually traveled to his bedroom. Proto Man returned to Bass and Rhythm and the three traveled to Bass's chamber. Lightning stuck and thunder rumbled as a rainstorm rolled in. Rhythm laid down on Bass's bed, Proto Man sat on a crate that was in the room, and Bass opened up the window.

"A little ambience for Rhythm so he dosen't have to sleep in silence"

_Thanks Bass._

"You two really do treat each other like brothers" Proto Man noted

"Why not? You and Mega Man treat each other like brothers" Bass stated.

Proto Man shrugged "I could see that"

"So, are you going to sleep in the bed or what?"

_I would like it if you did father, we used to those many years ago._

Proto Man smiled "Alright then"

Proto Man crawled into the bed, and Bass did as well which effectively sandwiched Rhythm.

"Good night Proto Man and Rhythm" Bass spoke.

_Good night Bass and Blues._

"Good night Bass, and sweet dreams...Fortunato"

_It was a dark and stormy night. The lightning struck in repeated intervals and helped the phoenix rise from the ashes reveal the hidden capabilities of those he encountered, and transformed the beliefs that were once held so tightly._

_In pace requiescat._

End


End file.
